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UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
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Jeffrey, Alexander , 1S0G-1S74
The history and antiquities
of Roxburghshire and
adjacent districts, from the
most, remote period to the
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1 KING PRESS NO. 303
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THE
HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES
or
ROXBURGHSHIRE
AND
ADJACENT DISTRICTS,
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BY ALEXANDER JEFEEEY,
AUTHOR OF THE " GUIDE TO THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BORDER," &C.
VOL. III.
EDINBURGH: THOMAS C. JACK,
92, PEINCES STKEET.
ANDREW JACK, PRINTER CLYDE KTREET EDINBURGH.
THE LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF QUBPW
PREFACE.
When the author closed the second volume, he
hoped that the work would be concluded in this
one; but notwithstanding all his efforts to do so,
he has only been able to complete the district of
Kelso — a district so rich and full of interest, that it
was with great difficulty the important materials
with which it abounds were condensed within the
narrow compass of the present volume. He there-
fore trusts that, under the circumstances, the exten-
sion of the work to another volume, with the view
of including a great mass of valuable matter — with-
out which the work would be imperfect — will meet
with the approval of subscribers and the public.
To the Rev. James Jarvie, Kelso, the author is
indebted for valuable information in regard to the
modern history of Kelso.
The concluding volume will be published in the
course of the next year.
A. J.
Jedburgh, September, 1859.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2013
http://archive.org/details/historyantiquiti03jeff
CONTENTS OF VOL. III.
I. INTBODUCTION.
PAGE
1. Old names of the country lying along the Forth,
and from Tweed to Avon ... ... ... 1
2. Between 635 and 1020, churches in Teviotdale and
Lothian belonged to Lindisfarne ... ... 2
3. After 1020, the Bishop of St. Andrews assumed
jurisdiction ... ... ... ... 3
4. Boundary of the episcopates of Glasgow and St
Andrews ... ... ... ... 3
5. The people inhabiting north side of Tweed ... 4
6. Names of places on north and south of river ... 5
7. Druidical remains on north of Tweed ... ... 5
II. KELSO.
1. Etymology of its name ... ... ... 6
2. Situation of the town and scenery around it ... 8
3. The town and streets ... ... ... 10
4. The Town-hall and Market-place ... ... 11
5. Bridge-street ... ... ... ... 13
6. Havannah, or Ednam House ... ... ... 16
7. Abbey-close, Butts, and Kirkstyle ... ... 17
8. Mill of Kelso ... ... ... ... 19
9. Boxburgh-street, Cunzie-nook, Horse-shoe, Chalk-
heugh, and Windy Goul ... ... ... 21
10. Approaches to the town, roads, bridges, and ferries 23
11. Town formed part of regality of Abbey ... 29
12. Site of burgh, burgh records and statutes, whipmen 30
13. Markets and trade of the town ... ... 35
14. Literature, Chalkheugh library, newspapers and
reading-rooms ... ... ... ... 37
15. The schools of the town ... ... ... 39
VI CONTENTS.
PAGE
1 6. The manor of Kelso and Abbey ... ... 40
First notice of the manor — the boundaries thereof
— governed by a provost — Wester Kelso — Fair-
cross — first settlement of monks at Selkirk, at
Kelso — benefits conferred on a district by foun-
dation of abbey — property of the monks in flocks
and herds, in lands and fisheries — right of the
monks to a tenth of all the bucks and does taken
by king's huntsmen— skins of animals — tradition
of Northumberland as to monks visiting Delavel's
kitchen — monks the early bankers — they enjoyed
wardship of heirs — grants made to the abbey for
interment in the cemetery — the monks exporters
— the property of the monks in lands and churches
in the counties of Selkirk, Berwick, Peebles,
Lanark, Dumfries, Ayr, and Edinburgh — colonies
of monks sent from Kelso — revenues of house.
17. Confirmation Charter of Malcolm IV. ... ... 355
18. Annals of the Abbey and Town ... ... 67
Of the Abbey. — Abbots — Herbert, Ernold, John,
Osbert — interdict by Pope Alexander III., its
form — Geoffrey, Eichard cle Cave, Henry, Eichard
Maunsel, Hugh de Maunsel, Eobert de Smal-
liame, Patrick, Henry de Lambeden, Eichard,
Walron, Thomas de Durham, William de Alyn-
crom, William de Dalgernock, William, Patrick,
William, Allan, Andrew Stewart, Thomas Ker,
James Stewart, commendator, Duke of Guise,
commendator, Sir John Maitland, commendator,
Both well. Of the Town.- — Two of Shrewsbury's
captains burn Kelso in 1522 — next year town
and monastery burnt by Dacre — Duke of Nor-
folk burnt town and abbey — Bowes and Laiton's
visit to it, 1544— next year the Earl of Hertford
destroyed town and abbey — garrison of Wark
ravaged the town — Queen Mary at Kelso, where
she slept two days — bond signed at Kelso to put
down Border thieves — parties to it — Earls of
Angus and Marr, the Master of Glammis at
Kelso— joined by Both well, Home, Cessford, and
Coldingknowes, and barons of Teviotdale — town
of Kelso fined 2000 merks— town destroyed by
an accidental fire in 1645 — Montrose at Kelso
same year — in 1715 Scottish rebels at Kelso —
persons of the surname of Kelso.
CONTENTS. VII
III. FLEUES.
PAGE
1. The palace of the Duke of Roxburghe, its situation,
name, and scenery around it ... ... 87
2. Fair-cross, origin of the name ... ... 88
3. Woods around Fleurs ... ... ... 89
4. The family of Ker ... ... ... ... 90
5. Bond between the Scotts and Kers ... ... 93
6. Sir Robert Ker, first Earl of Roxburghe ... 98
7. Competition between Brigadier-General Walter Ker
of Littledean and Sir James Norcliffe Innes for
the honours and estates of Roxburgh ... 104
8. The House of Innes ... ... ... 105
IV. EDNAM.
1. Etymology of the name ... ... ... 107
, 2. Charter by Thorlongus of church of Ednam to the
monks of Durham ... ... ... 108
3. Description of Ednam ... ... ... 109
4. Property of the monks of Coldingham, Kelso, and
Dryburgh, in Ednam ... ... ...110
5. Hospital of Ednam ... ... ...Ill
6. The family of Edmonstone, origin and end of the
race ... ... ... ... ... 112
7. Wych elm in brewery garden ... ... 113
8. Ednani the birth-place of Captain Cook, notices of
family ... ... ... ... ... 114
9. James Thomson, the poet, was he born in Ednam ? 115
10. William Dawson, the agriculturist ... ... 115
V. HENDERSIDE.
1. Situation ... ... ... ... ... 116
2. Greater part of estate included in the old barony of
Ednam ... ... ... ... ... 116
3. Mansion of Henderside Park ... ... ...116
4. The estate was acquired by one Ormston, and was
carried by marriage to John Waldie ... ... 117
5. Lineage of the family ... ... ... 118
VI. NEWTON AND NENTHORN.
1. These two manors the property of the Morvilles
during 12th century, at whose death in 1196 the
manors passed to his only sister, Helena, wife of
the lord of Galloway ... ... ... 118
Vlll CONTENTS.
PAGE
2. When Sir James Douglas became proprietor of these
manors ... ... ... ... ... 119
3. Grants made to the church ... ... ... 120
4. Newton-Don House; its site — the woods around
house — beautiful weeping birches near garden —
woolly-leafed poplar nurses an ivy — yew-trees
— wych elms — remarkable thorn-trees for size and
beauty — the river Eden — trap dyke across river —
melancholy incident ... ... ...121
VII. STITCHEL.
1. Etymology of the name ... ... ... 123
2. Situation and view from the hill ... ... 124
3. Barony of Stitchell part of barony of Gordon ... 124
4. Origin of the family of Gordon and its descendants 125
5. Nicolas de Sticcenil ... ... ... 125
6. The church of Stitchel ... ... ...126
7. Persons who bore the surname of Stitchel ... 127
8. George Kedpath minister of Stitchel ... ... 127
VIII. HOME.
1. Etymology of name and situation ... ... 128
2. The manor of Home formed a part of the territory
of the Earl of Dunbar ... ... ... 128
3. The manor of Home was given by Patrick, Earl of
Dunbar, as a marriage gift to his daughter Ada,
on her marriage with her cousin, William of
Greenlaw ... ... ... ... 129
4. Assumed name of the manor as a surname after
marriage ... ... ... ... 129
5. Dispute between Home and monastery settled ... 130
6. Castle of Home — notices thereof ... ... 131
7. Badge of the Homes ... ... ... 133
IX. SMALHAM.
1. Etymology of name ... ... ... 133
2. The manor of Smalham ... ... ... 133
3. The family of Olifard the first owners — origin of the
name of Oliver — he was Justiciary of Lothian —
grants to Dryburgh Abbey and the house of Soltre 134
4. Walter of Moray succeeded Oliver in the barony ... 135
5. William Earl of Douglas acquired the barony in
1451 ... ... ... ... ... 360
CONTENTS. IX
6. Hospital of Smalhani ... ... ... 136
7. Edward I. was at Smalham ... ... ... 136
8. Persons who bore the surname of Smalham ... 137
9. The mother of Captain Cook resided in Smalham 137
10. Smalham Crags ... ... ... ... 138
X. WRANGHAME.
1. Situation of this place ... ... ... 139
2. Residence of the nurse of St. Cuthbert ... ... 139
3. Legend of St. Cuthbert ... ... ...139
XL MAKERSTON.
1. Situation and extent of the barony ... ... 140
2. The mansion of Makerston, and scenery, trees, &c,
in park ... ... ... ... ... 141
3. Etymology of its name ... ... ... 141
4. Walter Corbet proprietor about the middle of 12th
century ... ... ... ... ... 142
5. The Macdougals next proprietors of barony, 1370 144
6. Origin and history of the family — Appendix . . . 360
7. Notices of the family ... ... ... 145
8. Property of Kelso monks in barony ... ... 150
9. Camp on left bank of the Tweed above Mackerston 150
10. Charterhouse ... ... ... ... 150
XII. MANOR OF ROXBURGH.
1. Extent of manor and possessions thereof in early
times ... ... ... ... ... 151
2. Friars, the seat of the baronial court ... ... 152
3. Remarkable trysting-tree at Friars ... ... 153
4. Is any part of the peninsula in Kelso parish? .. 154
5. Inquiry as to the site of the old church of Rox-
burgh ... ... ... ... ... 157
6. Church and graveyard — old tombstones — grave of
Edie Ochiltree ... ... ... ... 158
7. Village of Roxburgh ; Wallace's Tower ... ... 159
XIII. SUNLAWS.
1. Situation ... ... ... ... ... 160
2. The estate formerly belonged to the family of Ker
ofGreenhead ... ... ... ... 161
3. It now belongs to William Scott Ker of Chatto ... 161
4. Lineage of the family ... ... ... 161
5. Prince Charles slept a night at the tower of Sunlaws 162
x CONTENTS.
XIV. RINGLEY HALL.
PAGE
1. Etymology of the name — its situation — description
of fort ... ... ... ... ... 162
2. Traditions regarding it and Rutherford ... ... 164
3. Tumulus in front of Mackerston House, its appear-
ance and extent ... ... ... ... 165
4. Trows — etymology of name — description of the Tors 167
5. Legend of the Church of Rome as to St. Cuthbert's
corpse floating down the river in a stone boat ... 168
6. Stockstrother ... ... ... ... 362
XV. FAIRNINGTON.
1. First appearance of barony in record during 12th
century ... ... ... ... ... 170
2. Notices of the early proprietors — Burnards ... 171
3. The Rutherfurds possessed it about the beginning
of the 17th century ... ... ... 172
4. Tradition of the Bloody Well ... ... ... 173
5. Baron Rutherfurd, notices of ... ... ... 174
6. Notice of Major Rutherfurd — Burns visited him in
1787 ... ... ... ... ... 176
7. Downlaw — ruins of an observatory on its summit
— Stanan Stane, near Watling-street, on farm of
Heriotsfield — Harlaw — traces of an old ditch re-
ferred to in charter of the 13th century ... 176
8. Hospital of Fairnington; its site — belonged to
bishop of Glasgow in 1186— grants to chapel, &c. 177
XVI. BARONY OF MAXWELL.
1. First appears in record during the days of David I.,
by whom the territory was granted to his follower
Maccus, who conferred on it his name ... 1 78
2. Situation and extent of the barony ... ... 179
3. Notices of the family of Maxwell ... ... 180
4. Bridgend purchased by James Douglas from Ker of
Greenhead — the name changed to Springwood
Park — notices of the family of Douglas — lineage
of the family ... ... ... ... 183
5. Situation of the old mansion of Bridgend ... 185
6. Description of the mansion of Springwood Park, and
scenery around — the woods — young trysting-tree —
remarkable poplar at Maxwellheugh, 92 feet high
and 32 feet 6 inches in girth ... ... 186
7. Maisondieu, or hospital ... ... ... 187
CONTENTS. XI
8. Town of Maxwellheugh — tumulus within the
grounds of Pinnaclehill — view of, from the ridge
to the west of town ... ... ... 188
9. Softlaw — notices of its early proprietors ... 189
10. Church of Maccuswel — existed before 1159 — it
was dedicated to St. Michael — the graveyard ... 190
11. St. Thomas' Chapel, where situated? ... ... 191
XVII. SPROUSTON.
1. Etymology of name — it is first seen in charter of
David — the early proprietors — granted by William
the Lion to Sir Eustace de Vesci, who married his
daughter ... ... ... ... ... 193
2. Eobert Bruce conferred the barony on his son
Robert — David II. gave it to Thomas Murray —
William Earl of Douglas obtained it in 1451 — it
was afterwards granted to Sir Robert Ker of
Cessford ... ... ... ... ... 193
3. Property of monks of Kelso in Sprouston, and by
whom granted ... ... ... ... 197
4. Village of Sprouston .. . ... ... ... 198
5. King and Queen of England at Sprouston for
several days in 1256 ... ... ... 199
6. Lands of Easter Softlaw ... ... ... 1 99
XVIII. REDDEN.
1. Situation of the territory ... ... ... 199
2. Was the property of the monks of Kelso — notices
of the town and grange of Redden — David II.
erected it into a royalty in favour of monks . . . 200
3. Reddenburn ... ... ... ... 201
XIX. HAUDEN.
1. Manor granted by William the Lion to Bernard, an
Anglo-Norman ... ... ... ... 201
2. Notices of the family — assumed Hauden as a sur-
name ... ... ... ... ... 202
3. Estate now property of Sir William Elliot of Stobs 202
4. Property of monks in Hawden ... ... 203
5. Haddenstank ... ... ... ... 204
XX. LEMPETLAW.
1. Barony granted by David I. to Richard Germyn ... 204
2. Sir Adam Quinton got Wellflat as a marriage portion
with Floria, daughter of Germyn ... ... 205
Xll CONTENTS.
PAGE
3. Jaines III. conferred the barony on Walter Scott of
Kirkurd ... ... ... ... ... 205
4. Geoffrey of Lempetlaw was chamberlain to William
the Lion ... ... ... ... ... 205
5. The barony was originally a separate parish — grave-
yard still used — the church, which was the pro-
perty of the house of Soltre, is not in existence . . . 205
XXI. LINTON.
1. Etymology of name — Linton mistaken by previous
writers for Linton Roderick in Peebleshire . . . 206
2. The barony was the property of William Sumerville
in 1160 — origin of the family of Sumerville —
Linton first estate in Scotland — notices of the
family ... ... ... ... ... 207
3. Legend of Linton ... ... ... ... 209
4. Monument over the church-door — remarks thereon 215
5. The skull of a beaver and the remains of an ox, bos
primogenius, found in Linton loch ... ... 217
6. Barony now possessed by Robert Elliot of Harwood
andClifton^ ... ... ... ... 223
7. Graden, Fauside, and Greenlees ... ... 224
8. Blakelaw — Thomas Pringle, the author of "The
Excursion," born here— beautiful view of vale of
Tweed and Merse from Blakelaw ridge . . . 225
9. Old town of Linton ... ... ... ... 226
10. Church of Linton— tumulus of sand on which it is
built — legend thereof ... ... ... 227
11. Font of the church used by a blacksmith to hold
small coals ... ... ... ... 228
XXII. YETHAM.
1. Etymology of name ... ... ... ... 229
2. Early history of the territory — property of the
monks of Kelso in it — Colpinhopes ... ... 230
3. Chapel of St. Ethelrida, where situated — tradition
regarding it ... ... ... ... 232
4. In 1375, Yetham the property of the family of
Macdougal of Makerston ... ... ... 233
5. James IV. granted to Sir Robert Ker the lordship
of Yetham ... ... ... ... 234
6. William Bennet was owner in 1647 ... ... 234
7. Halterburnhead — origin of name, &c. ... ... 235
8. The church and graveyard of Yetham ... ... 235
CONTENTS. Xlll
9. The town of Yetham — notices thereof
10. Shrovetide at Yetham — football, &c.
11. Christmas festivities
12. Account of the gipsy tribes
13. Barony of Town Yetham
14. Town Yetholm
15. Cherrytrees and Thirlestane
16. King Edward at Yetholm for two days
17. Persons who bore the surname of Yetholm
PAGE
237
239
241
241
258
261
262
264
265
XXIII. MOW.
1. Etymology of name — boundaries and extent of
territory ... ... ... ... ... 265
2. Territory originally formed part of Northumbria ... 267
3. First owner named Liulf — Uctred, his son, suc-
ceeded, and then the lands passed to Eschena de
Londiniis, called Lady Molle — she married Walter
the first Steward of Scotland — origin of the family
— persons who followed Walter to Scotland —
charter of Malcolm in favour of Walter . . . 269
4. Anselm of Whitton possessed part of Molle . . . 273
5. Lands in territory belonging to monks of Kelso
— monks had a grant of the forest in Molle . . . 273
6. Property of the house of Melrose in territory . . . 278
7. The monks of Paisley ... ... ...279
8. The canons of Jedburgh ... ... ...280
9. Lands of Robert de Croc in territory — surname of
Lindsay ... ... ... ... ... 280
10. Cocklaw — powerful castle on sources of Beaumont —
besieged by the English in 1401 — it belonged to
the family of Gledstones ... ... ... 282
11. Town of Molle and church of Molle ... ... 285
12. Woods of Molle ... ... ... ...289
XXIV. MOREBOTTLE.
1. Etymology — situation and extent of territory — its
early history ... ... ... ... 290
2. The family of Corbet appears to have possessed the
lands in 12th century ... ... ... 291
3. Town of Morebottle — church of Morebottle — pro-
phecy in regard to it — dedicated to St. Lawrence
— disputes with the monks of Melrose . . . 293
4. Dissenting meeting-house— Mrs. Morrison intro-
duced spinning-wheel into Morebottle .... 295
XIV CONTENTS.
PAGR
5. Whitton — etymology, situation, extent, and boun-
daries— was an ancient possession of the family
ofKiddel ... ... ... 297
6. Fort of Whitton ... ... ... ...298
7. Primside — granted by Earl Henry, son of David I.,
to Eidel — believed to have been the earliest pos-
session of the family in Scotland ... ... 299
8. Crookedshaws — its situation — remarkable bar of
sand at Loch ... ... ... ... 300
1). Clifton — etymology — its early history — it belonged
to St. Cuthbert during the seventh century — no-
tices thereof ... ... ... ... 302
10. Grubet — etymology doubtful — in 12th century pro-
perty of Uctred, who took the surname for the
territory — De Vescis were over-lords of this terri-
tory in the 13th century ... ... ... 303
11. Wideopen — its situation — property of the maternal
uncle of the poet Thomson ... ... ... 305
12. Gateshaw — situation and extent — belonged origi-
nally to the monks — fermed by Kers— the family
of Ker of Gateshaw ... ... ... 306
1 3. Corbet House — tower of Gateshaw ... ... 307
14. Otterburn, Tofts, Cowbog, Heavyside, Lochside,
and Foumerdean ... ... ... 308
XXV. HOWNAM.
1. Etymology — property of Orm during the beginning
of the 12th century — origin of name — Rasawe the
property of the monks of Melrose ... ... 310
2. Church of Hunum — disputes between bishop of
Glasgow and monks of Melrose as to titles ... 313
3. Town of Hownam and Hownan Kirk, Capehope, &c. 314
4. Rings — legend thereof ... ... ... 315
5. Chatthou — etymology — situation — notices thereof 316
6. Philogar, Beirhope, Burvanes, Buchtrig, and Over
Whitton ... ... ... ... 317
XXVI. ECKFORD.
1. Etymology — situation and extent of old territory of
Eckford ... ... ... ... 320
2. A family of Geoffrey one of the earliest proprietors 321
3. Mowbray acquired it during the reign of William
the Lion — lost Cessford in 1316, and Eckford in
1320 322
CONTENTS. XV
4. On forfeiture of Mowbray, territory granted by
Robert I. to Walter, steward of Scotland . . . 322
5. Moss Tower ... ... ... ... 323
6. Town of Eckford — church thereof— jugs still to be
seen at the door of church — notices of church . . . 324
7. Moss Tower farm — Church's oats — remarks thereon 324
8. Graemslaw — etymology — situation and extent —
hospital on banks of Cayle ... ... ... 325
9. Haughead — situation— property of Hall, called
Hobbie Hall, in 17th century — his son, Henry
Hall, commanded at Drumclog and Bothwell
Bridge — his banner — he was taken in company
with Cargill — died of his wounds — tried after
death — remarks on this form of trial, and " Jed-
dart Justice" ... ... ... ... 327
10. Richard Cameron licensed here by Welsh — notices
as to Cameron ... ... ... ... 330
11. Priest's Crown — etymology — situation — remains
found there in 1857 ... ... ...331
12. Cesspord barony, a part of the old territory of
Eckford — etymology of name — situation and ex-
tent— the early proprietors of the manor — Castle
of Cessford : description thereof — besieged by
Surrey in 1523 — Hall of Haughead imprisoned in
it — a large ash-tree which grew there at the end
of last century ... ... ... ... 333
13. Marlefield — lies between the modern baronies of
Eckford and Cessford — property of William Ben-
net in the middle of the 17th century ... ... 337
14. Is the scene of the " Gentle Shepherd " laid here 1 ... 338
XXVII. CAVERTON.
1. Etymology — thought to be the Keveronum in the
Inquisitio Davidis ... ... ... ... 340
2. It belonged originally to the celebrated family of
Sulis, of Anglo-Norman race in Northamptonshire
— notices of the family — family forfeited the barony
in 1320 — new grants by Robert I. to Robert, son
of Walter Stewart — notices of the barony . . . 342
3. Chapel of Caverton ... ... ... ... 343
4. A tumulus called the Black Dyke ... ... 344
5. Mainhouse — formerly included in the territory of
Caverton — at one time belonged to the family of
Chatto — now property of Ralph Nisbet ... 345
xvi CONTENTS.
XXVIII. ORMESTON.
Etymology— situation— description of barony— "be-
longed first to Orm, the son of Eilar— it became
a surname to a family, in the end of the 13th cen-
tury, of Ormeston — it continued in the family of
Ormeston till 1573, when James Ormston was exe-
cuted for his share in Darnley's murder ... 346
It was then granted to Ker of Cessford— it after-
wards belonged to William Elliot— to William
Mein — now to the Marquis of Lothian ... 349
Tower and town of Ormeston destroyed by Dacre
and Hertford ... ... ••• ••• 35°
XXIX. HETON.
350
Etymology— its situation— the first person who
appears as owner was Alan de Perci— notices of
family ... ••• ••• ••- . •••
It belonged to the family of Colville m 1230— it re-
mained with that family till 1509, when it passed
to the Kers— it is now property of Sir George
Douglas and William Scott Ker of Chatto—
notices of the town of Heton ... ... 353
HISTOKY AND ANTIQUITIES
ROXBURGHSHIRE, &c.
OF THE DISTRICT OF KELSO.
This district comprehends, on the north of the
river Tweed, the parishes of Kelso, Makerstoun,
Ednam, Smailholm, and Stitchel ; on the south of
the river, that part of Kelso which formed the old
parish of Maccuswel, and the parishes of Roxburgh,
Sprouston, Yetholm, Morebattle, Linton, and Eck-
ford.
Before entering upon a particular description of
this district, it will be necessary, for the proper
understanding of the subject, briefly to sketch its
ancient history. As already stated in a previous
part of this wrork, all the country lying along the
VOL. in. B
2 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Forth, and from the Tweed to the Avon, was known
in the age of Bede as Bernicia. In the " Scoto-Irish
Chronicle/' it is named Saxonia. After 843, the
territory acquired from the Saxon settlers, who had
come in on the Romanized Ottadeni and Gadeni —
the name of Lothian, which it still bore in 1020,
when it was ceded by Eadulf-Cudel to Malcolm
Ceanmore, the King of Scotland. About 1097, that
part of the district lying along the Tweed, as far up as
the confluence of the Gala and the Lamermoors came
to be known as the Merse. In after times, the three
districts, Merse, Lamer moor, and Lauderdale, were
formed into a sheriffwic under the name of Berwick-
shire. At the death of Edgar, in 1107, his brother
Alexander succeeded to the throne, and, by a settle-
ment of the deceased king, his youngest brother,
David, had assigned to him as his appanage all the
territory lying to the south of the Friths of Forth
and Clyde except Lothian. While Alexander reigned
over Scotland and the country on the north of the
Tweed, David enjoyed all Teviotdale and Tweeddale.
It was not till the death of Alexander, in 1 1 24, that
David, after he became king, was enabled to exercise
jurisdiction over the land to the north of the Tweed.
Between the erection of the bishoprick of Lindis-
farne in 635 and 1020, all the churches in Lothian
and Teviotdale were considered as dependencies of
the see of Lindisfarne and Durham. But when
Lothian was ceded to the Scottish King, the Bishop
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC 3
of St. Andrews assumed the ecclesiastical jurisdic-
tion of the whole churches in the district. At the
dawn of record, many of the churches of Teviotdale
belonged to the Bishop of Glasgow.* When the
pious David ascended the throne, he renovated the
bishoprick of Glasgow, and placed all the churches
of Teviotdale under the jurisdiction of the church of
Glasgow, and appointed John, his tutor, as the first
bishop of the restored see. In 1 238, the bishoprick
of Glasgow was divided into two distinct archdeacon-
ries, of which Teviotdale was one, and from that
time enjoyed its own archdeacon.-J*
The river Tweed formed the boundary between
the two episcopates of Glasgow and St. Andrews, from
Carham Burn to the mouth of the Gala, and from
the Gala it ran along the ridge which separates
Lothian from Tweeddale and Clydesdale. It will
thus be seen that the parishes of Kelso, Stitchel,
Ednam, Smailham, and Makerstoun, were included
in the deanery of the Merse, and bishoprick of St.
Andrews.^ No part of any of these parishes lay on
the south side of the Tweed.
Before 1020, the river Tweed was the boundary
* Inquisitio Davidis, 1116.
t It had its Dean during the days of Bishop Jocelin, be-
tween 1174 and 1180. The Archdeacon regulated the clergy
of Teviotdale, subject to the Bishop of Glasgow.
X In 1221 there was a charter granted uin plena capitulo
de Mersa apud Ednham" Lib. de Calchou.
4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
between two hostile peoples; and there can be little
doubt that many of the strengths which are to be
seen on the south margins of the river were to de-
fend the inhabitants of Teviotdale from the Pagan
Saxons who dwelt on the north bank of the stream.
In after times, when the English seized Teviotdale,
and held Koxburgh Castle for more than a hundred
years, these forts would be occupied by them as a
defence against the lawful owners of the soil resum-
ing possession* The fact that these strengths are
mostly confined to the south bank of the Tweed,
leads to the belief that the passages of the river re-
quired to be guarded from an enemy advancing from
Lothian on the north.
The names of places on the north side of the
Tweed evince that the Saxon tribes had gained the
complete ascendancy over the Romanized Ottadenian
people in this district. The predominance, also, of
Saxon names on the south side of the Tweed, to the
east of the Teviot river, show the extent of their
colonization, and the superinduction of their lan-
guage on the ancient British. The Saxon " Hleaw,"
as Law, appears in the names of many little hills and
places on the east of the Teviot: e.g., Sunlaws, Gra-
hamslaw, Blacklaws, Greenlaws, Wormeslaw, Hose-
law, Gastlelaw, Todlaw, Lempitlaw,Lurdinlaw, Soft-
* Several writers imagine that a number of these strengths
are Danish, forgetting that these robbers had no permanent
settlement here.
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 5
laws, Spylaw, Pylelaw, in fact, every little hill in that
locality bears either a Saxon name or a Saxon ter-
mination. On the north side of the Tweed, the
" law" enters into the names of many places — Brox-
laiv, Luntinlaw, Galalaw, Tanlaw, Sharpitlaw. The
Saxon rig appears in several names, such as Musrig,
Mainrig, Greatridge. The word Kaims, or Cairns,
for a ridge, is found in several names of places be-
tween Broxlaw and Combflat, a little to the east of
Ednam village ; the old Saxon word thyrn for thorn
in Nenthom. Holm, Home Castle, Stitchel, and
Ham in Edenham, Smailham, etc. The word hope
is also of frequent occurrence. Proceeding west-
ward, the Saxon names of places become gradually
fewer, showing that the colonization was from the
eastward ; and the rareness of Scoto-Irish names on
the east establishes, on the other hand, that these
people advanced on the district from the west.
It is worthy of notice, that while Druidical remains
abound in Teviotdale, scarcely any are to be found
on the north of the Tweed. It is thought that the
difference between the two sides of the river in this
respect arises from the occupation of the country on
the north by the Saxons, who continued all pagans
for nearly 200 years after their first entrance on the
land, and delighted in the destruction of every ves-
tige of the Druid worship, or the remains of the
native people. British remains were the object of
their special enmity.
b THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Kelso, the capital of the district, makes its first
appearance in 1128, in the charter of David to the
Selkirk monks, on their being placed on the well-
sheltered banks of the Tweed. In that document it
is written in three different ways — Calchou, Kel-
chou, and Kalchu* The chronicler of Mailros,
while recording the foundation of the abbey at Kelso
as having taken place on May 3, 1128, enters the
name Kelchehou,f and in various other entries in
that work — recording events between 1 128 and 1255
— it appears as Kelchou. In the Register of Glas-
gow it is written Chelgho,\ Chelcho, Kelcho, Kalcho,
Kelechou; and in 1176, John the abbot writes the
name of the place exactly as it is written at the pre-
sent day, " Kelso. "§ In the Book of Dry burgh it
appears as Calcheo, Kelkou, Kelku ; and in the writ
of protection granted by the English king to the
abbot and convent, the name is written Kellesowe.\\
It is thought that the name is derived from the
British Oalch and the Saxon hou, descriptive of a
small eminence on the margin of a river, on which
part of the town is now built, and still bearing the
appellation of the Chalkheugh. I have conversed with
several old people who distinctly remembered the
Chalkheugh before it was built upon or protected
* Charter of David to the Monastery. Lib. de Calchou.
t Chron. Mail., p. 69, &c. % Circa, 1150.
§ Eeg. of Glas., p. 40.
j| Rotuli Scotia?, vol. i. pp. 24, 25.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 7
from the river in 1810, and who stated that the
face of the cliff had then the appearance of chalk,
and which they, in their boyhood had digged for
alabaster. The cliffs on the east bank of the river
are also formed of the same kind of calcareous de-
posit; and it is probable that the name of Cal-
chou was, by the native people, intended to describe
these cliffs as well as the eminence on the north
side of the river. Several etymologists, however,
take a different view, and think that the name is
derived from the Celtic caol, caolas, a narrow chan-
nel.* It is no doubt true, that the Tweed does flow
through a strait for some miles above Roxburgh
Castle, and was separated into several narrow chan-
nels by the annas, which formerly existed near to
Faircross and the present anna, lower down the
river, opposite the Chalkheugh. These narrow
channels were also in close proximity to Kelso, in the
olden time. Indeed it might have been appropri-
ately described as the town on the Caolas; i.e.,
narrow channels on the Tweed and Teviot. Still I
am inclined to think that the true etymology of the
name is to be found in the British Calch and the
Saxon hou, the more especially as there are no other
cliffs of the same nature in that locality. The Calch-
hills, on the Tweed, would be a good description of
the place at an early period, and by which it might
* Williamson's Etymology, p. 84.
8 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
be easily discovered. It must also be kept in view,
however, that the Saxon " Gealc" is very like the
British Calch, and it may be that the whole name is
Saxon " Cealchou."*
The Town of Kelso is situated on the north side
of the river Tweed, exactly opposite to the mouth of
the river Teviot, on a piece of haughland, formed
by a bend of the river. While passing Roxburgh
Castle, the course of the Tweed is to the east, till
turned in a northerly direction by the cliffs at Max-
wellheugh, which are a continuation of the high
land forming the east bank of the river Teviot. On
the north side of the haugh is a semicircular ridge,
which takes its rise at the river Tweed, in the
policy of Floors, and continuing eastward, forms, at
Sharpitlaw, the left bank of the river, and divides
the dale through which Tweed flows from the flat
land of Edendale. The right bank of the Teviot
and Tweed is also semicircular. The locality is
remarkable for scenes of great beauty. From the
summit of the river's bank at Maxwellheugh, an
extensive view is obtained of the surrounding scen-
ery. The eye roams over the broad expanse of
waters beneath, and the termination of the beauti-
ful vale where " the silver tide of Teviot loses itself
in Tweed's pellucid stream ;" the lovely little islet
in the midst of the parent river; the moss-clad
* Johnson derives the English Chalk from the Saxon Cealc.
ROXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 9
ruins of Koxburgh, and in the distance the cones of
Eildon. On the left bank of the Tweed, the palace
of the Duke of Roxburgh stands, environed by dark
woods, while lower down are beautiful gardens ;
houses clustered together ; a busy mill, with its
waterfall; the Havannah, and several other sweet
villas, overlook the beautiful sheet of water that rolls
past; while over this scene the august pile, in all
the solemnity of ruin, frowns majestically. On the
right bank of the Teviot, and between it and the
Tweed, in the midst of an extensive and well-
wooded park, is Springwood, the seat of Sir George
Douglas. Eastward, long reaches of the river are
exposed to view, the margins in the highest state of
cultivation, studded with mansions, among which
Henderside Park occupies a prominent position.
The country to the north has the appearance of
rising in terraces from the back of Kelso to the
woody heights of Stitchel, Mellerston, and of Home.
A fine view is obtained from the second arch of the
bridge next to Kelso, looking up the river ; but the
view which is held in the greatest admiration by
strangers is from the Chalkheugh, the picture in-
cluding the meeting of the waters, the vale of Teviot,
and the ruins of the " Towering Fortress;"* but it
* It is said in the Kelso Records, p. 113, that Lady Hol-
land, whose taste was so celebrated, had been heard to declare,
that the scene here surpassed any she had met with in France
and Italy.
10 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
is in vain to attempt to pourtray with the pen the
scenery around this lovely town ; the eye must rest
upon the luxuriant picture. Well might Leyden
sing*
" Bosomed in woods, where mighty rivers run,
Kelso's fair vale expands before the sun ;
Its rising downs in vernal beauty swell,
And fringed with hazel winds each flowery dell;
Green spangled plains to dimpling lawns succeed,
And Tempe rises on the banks of Tweed.
Blue o'er the river Kelso's shadow lies,
And copse-clad isles amid the waters rise;
Where Tweed her silent way majestic holds,
Float the thin gales in more transparent folds.
New powers of vision on the eye descend,
As distant mountains from their bases bend,
Lean forward from their seats to court the view,
While melt their softened tints in vivid blue.
But fairer still at midnight's shadowy reign,
When liquid silver floods the moonlight plain,
And lawns and fields, and woods of varying hue,
Drink the wan lustre and the pearly dew;
While the still landscape more than noontide bright,
Glistens with mellow tints of fairy light."
The Town of Kelso is large and handsome, con-
taining many well-built houses. In the centre of
the town is a spacious market-place of a square form.
Roxburgh-street, the approach from the north,
enters the square at the north-west angle. Bridge-
street leaves the market-place in a line with Rox-
* Ley den's Scenes of Infancy, p. 137.
EOXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 11
burgh-street, and leads to the Bridge over the Tweed,
and to the country on the south and west. The
Town Hall stands on the east side of the square,
forming the end of a tongue, with each side a street ;
on the north, the Horse Market; and on the north-east,
the Wood and Coal Market-streets. The Millwynd
runs from the south side of the market-place to the
mill on the Tweed. Besides these streets there are
a number of smaller wynds and lanes, forming the
means of communication between various parts of
the town to the river and to the country.
The Hall was erected in 1816, chiefly by the
munificence of James, Duke of Roxburgh, aided by
subscriptions of the inhabitants. It is a building
with a pediment in front, supported by four Ionic
columns, surmounted by a turret or belfry. In the
court-room hangs a whole-length portrait of his
Grace, placed there at the expense of the inhabitants,
to evince the gratitude felt for the benefits which
his Grace conferred on the town. The Hall stands
upon the site of an old house, which answered the
purposes of a council-room and tolbooth, taken
down about the beginning of the century. It was
raised upon four pillars of stone, and had a high
steeple, with a clock. In August, 1764, the light-
ning struck the steeple, and carried the weather-
cock into the churchyard.* With the exception of
* Kelso Kecords, p. 124.
1 2 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the tenement occupied by Stephen Balmer, the
whole of the square seems to have been rebuilt since
1790.* Within the recollection of aged inhabitants,
the square which now boasts of so many fine build-
ings was a quadrangle of straw-covered houses, with
their high, pointed gables to the front, which led
the celebrated traveller Pennant to remark that
Kelso resembled a Flemish town. A huge and
unseemly pantwell, surmounted by a lamp, stood
in one corner. To a saddler's apprentice breaking
this pant and its lamp, the inhabitants of Kelso
were, in after years, indebted for many improve-
ments, and one of its most handsome buildings.
The boy, fearing the wrath of the civic functionaries
for demolishing the lamp, fled to London, where he
succeeded in making his fortune as a navy agent ;
and on returning to Kelso, when his youthful ex-
ploit was forgotten, purchased part of the estate of
Ednam from the old family of Edmonstone, built
the Havannah, now called Ednam House, and the
present commodious Cross Keys Hotel. The old
Cross Keys stood on the site of Lindores' House,
lately used as a post-office. Where the Commercial
Bank now is, formerly stood an old tavern, with a
peculiar sign suspended from its front. Pillars and
piazzas stretched from the Millwynd in the direc-
* An old painting of the market-place, taken about 1790,
for Horsenden, of the Cross Keys Hotel, a copy of which is
in the possession of Mr. William Smith, Kelso.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 13
tion of Bridge-street. The shop windows, like
deeply-seated eyes, afforded a dry promenade, and a
play-ground to the youth of the town. The en-
trance into Beaumont-street from the square was
by a low pend. The crockery market was on the
opposite side of the entrance into this street.
Bridge-street owes its existence to the im-
proved communication by the bridge over the
Tweed. The access originally was by the Abbey
gardens and glebe, the old highway running straight
down Maxwellheugh path, beyond the bridge end,
across the site of Mr. Brown's cottage, past the
Episcopal Chapel, and up to the great west door of
the Abbey. Bridge-street was mostly occupied by
tombs. There exists to this day Hardie's crypt,
underneath the Spread Eagle; and in excavating,
about three years ago, in the cellar of the Mail
Office, dead men's bones were turned up by the
workmen. Many wealthy men gave largely to the
Abbey, for leave to lay their bones within its sacred
precincts, in the vain imagination that they would
lie undisturbed for ever. The handsome gateway
into Ednam House was not then in Belmont-place,
but between the Weigh-house and Forest's shop.
The house now occupied by the National Bank and
Messrs. Lugton and Porteous, existed at the begin-
ning of the eighteenth century. It is erected over
many very spacious, massy, and arched stone cellars,
a peculiarity which gave rise to the mistaken no-
I 4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
tion, that it occupies the site, and was reared upon
the old underground foundations, of the Abbot's
House.* These subjects were the property of a
family of Ormiston ; and in the cess books, at the
close of the reign of Queen Anne, it is entered as
liable in duty for thirty windows.*)* Charles Ormi-
ston was then the owner. He was a merchant, and
carried on an extensive trade with Holland, through
the port of Berwick-on-Tweed. In 1721 he was
merchant-treasurer, and, on his own behalf and that
of the company of merchants, applied for and ob-
tained a decree, restraining, under a penalty of
twenty pounds Scots, one John Ord, a fisherman
from Old Cambus, and his father, from retailing
brandy in Kelso. J In an upper room of that house,
with an ornamented roof, the fire-place being lined
with pictured Dutch tiles, the ancient religious wor-
ship of the abbots of the monastery, was, in Ormis-
ton's day, unobtrusively practised by his wife.
Though the son of a Quaker, he had contracted an
attachment for a Catholic lady, and, being at first
impeded by the rules of the Friends, he threatened
* Tradition has it, that the Abbot's Stead occupied a stance
above the Pipewell Brae, in a field adjoining that of Mr.
Williamson, recently the property of Mr. Jordan, now that
of Mr. Waldie of Henderside.
t At that time there seems to have been only seven houses
in Kelso liable in window duty.
+ This was a kind of smuggling more directed against the
trade of royal burghs than the revenue of the crown.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 15
to run off to the Plantations. One morning a scrap
of paper was found by him lying on his dressing-
table, with these laconic but significant words :
"Thy sister married without my consent, and I did
not disown her." It was his father's hand. The
heretic bride was brought home, and while the trade
of Hollands was conducted below, the mysteries of
the mass were celebrated in the room with the Dutch
tiles above, though no doubt sorely against the will,
but yet without molestation from the old Quaker,
whose sect was beyond others tolerant of religious
differences. The sister above referred to, who mar-
ried out of the pale of her party, but without re-
nouncing her peculiarities, was the fine, liberal old
Quakeress, to whom the boy Walter Scott was in-
debted for the use of her library, afterwards the
grandmother of the owner of the best preserved
books and paintings in the district* The Queens
Head Inn was one of the houses rated for window
duty. It came to be occupied by Waldie of Hender-
side, who succeeded to it through the Quakeress,
who was an Ormiston, and through her certain
parts of her lands. The arms of the two families
are now quartered as the armorial bearings of the
house of Henderside. The large apartment adjoin-
ing Lauder's ball-room, and interposing between it
and the churchyard, was that in which ducal and
* Mr. Waldie of Henderside.
1 6 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
baronial visitors were received, and is a modern
addition. The house of Andrew Johnston, Horse
Market, from its architecture, seems to be one of
the seven houses entered in the cess books of 1721,
and the tenement modernized for the shops of
Messrs. Rutherfurd, booksellers, and Mr. Moore,
draper, which then bounded the Hyde Maeket on
the north, was another of these houses. The Ha-
vannah, or Ednam House, noticed above, is compa-
ratively modern. It was erected after the middle of
the last century, by James Dickson, the runaway
saddler's apprentice, on his return to his native
district* It is a prominent object in Pennant's
sketch of Kelso, taken in l772.f The mansion is
elegant, built of square hewn stone, and stands in
the midst of a garden opening on the river. It is
ornamented by a Gothic temple; and when the
learned Hutchieson visited the locality in 1776,
"statues were disposed on the grass plots, which
were intersected with gravel walks and flower
knots." Dickson was owner of part of the old barony
of Ednam, in the neighbourhood of Kelso, and of
Broughton in Peebleshire. For some time he repre-
sented the Peebles district of burghs in Parliament.
In conjunction with Sir Alexander Don, and others,
* The house was named the Havannah, from its owner hav-
ing amassed a considerable sum by purchasing, while a navy
agent, the shares due to the captors of the Havannah.
t Pennant's Tonr, vol. iii. p. 278.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 17
he formed the society of the Bowmen of the Border,
and re-established Kelso races. John Mason, in
his Records of Kelso, is studious to tell that Dickson,
" at these races, run over Caverton Edge, in the year
1765, ran his gray horse Cheviot," and won. Mr.
Dickson was also the projector of a canal between
Berwick and Kelso, but which was given up at the
time for want of support.
The Abbey Close joins the present Bridge-street
opposite the ruined abbey. During the existence of
the old bridge, it was one of the principal approaches
to the town. On the east of Bridge-street is the parish
church, erected in 1773. It is in the shape of an
octagon, with an immense roof, tapering to a point
like a marquee, and supported by eight inner pillars.
In 1823, an attempt was made by the principal
heritors to improve the appearance of this inelegant
structure, but the proposal was rejected by the
smaller heritors, and Kelso continues to be disfigured
by one of the ugliest edifices that ever was reared.
Between 1649 and 1771, part of the ruins of the
Abbey was formed into a parish church, by arching
over the transept and head of the cross, with a wing
taken from the ruined choir.* The church was de-
serted at the period mentioned, in consequence of
* Engraving of the Abbey and adjoining subjects, in
Hutchinson's Northumberland, vol. ii. p. 263, date, 1776; also,
view taken by Grose in 1787, vol. i. p. 115.
VOL. III. C
18 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
some fragments of plaster falling from the ceiling
during divine worship, the congregation believing
that a prophecy of Thomas the Rhymer, to the effect
that the kirk was to fall at the fullest, was about to
be fulfilled ; and although the alarm proved ground-
less, the congregation could not be induced to as-
semble again within the walls of the ruin, a result
not to be regretted, as it ultimately led to the open-
ing up of the beautiful structure to public view.
A tier of arches thrown over those under which the
Protestant people assembled to worship formed the
prison of the town, and was the original from whence
the Author of Waverley sketched the Tolbooth, to
which the celebrated Border Bluegown was con-
signed, on his being carried away from the sports of
the adjacent Butts.* According to old Bluegown,
it " wasna sae dooms bad a place as it was ca'd ;
ye had aye a gude roof ower your head to fend aff
the weather; and if the windows werena glazed, it
was the mair airy and pleasant for the summer
season, and there were fock enow to crack wi', and
he had bread eneuch to eat, and what need he fash
himsell about the rest o't?"f The Butts is supposed
to be the place, where "the young men, availing
themselves of the fine evening, were engaged in the
sport of long bowls on a patch of common, while
* The ashes of Andrew Gemmels, the original of Edie
Ochiltree, lie in Roxburgh grave-yard,
t Antiquary, voL ii. p. 213.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 19
the women and elders looked on/'* Scott was a
frequent inmate of the cottage situated at the south-
east corner of the Knowes, or Butts, occupied by
his aunt, who had been his patient preceptress at
Sandy kno we; and no doubt he had often enjoyed
the sight of the games on the patch of common
hard by. The church and grave-yard are enclosed
by a high wall; but when Hutchinson (1776) and
Grose (1787) visited Kelso, the Knowes and yard
were open and intersected with roads in every direc-
tion. The entrance at the Kirk-style, between
Grey and Balmer's house, was formerly a massive
flight of steps, with a solid landing-place in the
centre, and the Style at the Butts as it is now ; and
the path that winds so crookedly on the east side
of the manse to the river, taking off from the old
school-house, and the whole extensive space had its
only entrance for funerals by an iron gate into the
abbey north door from the Abbey Close. There
was formerly no carriage way between the houses
and grave-yard.
The Mill of Kelso is thought to have been
erected shortly after the foundation of the Abbey.
It is certain that it existed at the end of the 12th
century. During the reign of King William, he
granted liberty to the monks of Kelso " to grind,
free of multure, for three or four days, at his mill of
* Antiquary, vol. ii. p. 105.
20 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Edinham, when their mill of Kelso should be stopped
by floods or frost."* Next to the abbey, it is the
greatest monument of the mechanical skill and en-
terprise of its monastic proprietors. Tradition has
it that the cauld of the mill was run away with every
flood, and that the present dam-head was erected by
the familiar spirits of the great wizard, Michael Scott,
It would seem that, in the early days, the weirs
were erected something like a stake and rice fence
of the present day. During the 13th century,
Thomas de Gordon, amongst many other favours,
conferred on the monks of Kelso, on their agreeing
to bury him in the grave-yard of the monastery,
granted them " the free use of his woods, both stock
and branches, to build their mill-dam." f In this
locality is the beautiful islet in the Tweed, appear-
ing, in the language of the minister of Kelso, as " a
basket of flowers in the flood/' J A glimpse of this
Anna, as it appeared to the tourist Pennant in 1772,
is obtained through one of the arches of the bridge,
in his picture of the town, taken from the right bank
of the river, between the present bridge and Max-
wellheugh. The river seems to have been flooded at
the time the drawing was executed; and the islet
appears as a cluster of foliage resting on the waters.
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 18, 19, 303, 304.
+ lb. " Stock et raniail ad edificandum stagnum suum.
1 £ tatistical Account.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 21
In 1755, a dispute occurred between the feuars of
Kelso and the Duke of Roxburgh e as to this anna;
the inhabitants claiming a right to wash and dry
their linen on it, as they had been immemorially ac-
customed to do ; and the Duke, as proprietor of the
land on both sides of the river, claimed as his own
the anna in the middle of the stream. The Court held
that, as the inhabitants had been in the constant use
of whitening and drying their linen on the island, they
were entitled to continue the possession thereof as
formerly, but decided that the mill was the property
of the superior. Another mill once existed at a
place called the Cuckold's Lane, propelled by water
from the site of the present Poors'-house, and past
the Dispensary, into the Tweed.
Roxburgh-street is a modern name imposed
by a person of the name of Matheson, about sixty
or seventy years ago. This part of the town for-
merly consisted of four divisions : the Gnnzie-nook,
the Horse-shoe, the Chalkheugh, and the Windy
Goul. The Cunzie-nook is supposed by some to
have obtained its name from being the site of a
mint, " Cunzie" coin, although no coins have been
found inscribed with the name of Kelso ; yet Kelso
may have been at one time a place of coinage, and
that the coin bore the name of the King's burgh of
Roxburgh; but certainly no coin yet discovered
bears the impress " Kelso." During the siege of
Roxburgh by James II., in 1460, there was a coin-
22 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
age, and the coin bore on the interior circle the in-
scription, " villa Roxburgh" but how the coinage
could have been in the town of Koxburgh at that
time, is not clear. From 1346 to the siege in 1460,
when James II. lost his life, Koxburgh had remained
in the hands of the English king, and could not,
during that time, have been a place of coinage. It is
probable that, while the siege was proceeding, the
coin was executed at Kelso, and impressed with the
name of Koxburgh, the King's town. It is not easy
to get over the name of the town on the coin, but it
is certainly as difficult to reconcile the fact of a coin-
age existing in a town that remained in possession
of the English king during the life of James II.
Though not attaching much importance to the name
of Cunzie-nook, as the same name is to be found in
many places of the county, yet it certainly is an ele-
ment in support of the view, that the name was in-
tended to describe the place where money was coined.
The only thing tending to throw a doubt over the
etymology is, that the coinage may have been in the
town of Koxburgh, as the coin itself testifies, while the
English held the Castle. The origin of the name of
the Horse-shoe is also involved in difficulty. A short
way up Roxburgh-street, a horse-shoe is firmly fixed
in the middle of the street, and when one is worn
out, a new one is substituted ; but there exists no
tradition or document to tell the object of the shoe
being placed in the street. I have made the most
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 23
careful inquiries from persons who have lived to an
old age without having left the place, and searched
every document accessible to me, without getting
any light on the subject. It is certain, however,
that it has long formed a well-known boundary in
the town, and many houses in its locality are de-
scribed as being bounded by the Horse-shoe. Were
I to hazard a conjecture, it would be that the horse-
shoe is descriptive of some noted hostelry that stood
in that locality, or that it received its name from
being occupied by stables, or smiths' shops. In
almost every town of importance was to be found,
in times bygone, a hostelry with the sign of the
horse-shoe. But the puzzle here is, that the Horse-
shoe is evidently descriptive of a locality or a divi-
sion, and not a single tenement.
After the streets, the approaches to the town
naturally suggest themselves for consideration. Be-
fore the erection of the old Bridge in 1754, which
fell a victim to the autumn floods of 1797, the only
access from the south and west was by ford or ferry.
In the Theatrum Scotice, published near the begin-
ning of the 18th century, the ferry-boats are seen in
full operation. A flat-bottomed boat is engaged con-
veying the horse-loads, and two small boats trans-
porting the foot-passengers at the ferry at the Mill-
wynd. There was also a cobble at the head of the
town opposite St. James' Green, and another ptying
"1\ THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
on Maxwell.* All these ferries were, previous to
the dissolution of the monastic establishments, in
the hands of the friars of Roxburgh.-)- In 1754, a
bridge of stone was thrown over the Tweed, of which
the stone piers are still to be seen at a short distance
above the present bridge. In Pennant's engraving
of the town and river, this bridge is in the fore-
ground, consisting of six arches, the third and fourth
of which appear to be higher than the others. Pen-
nant says it was an " elegant bridge of six arches,"
and Hutchinson, that he had access to the town " by
a fine stone bridge of six arches." At the time this
bridge was erected, it is believed that no other bridge
existed on the Tweed between Berwick and Peebles.^
Coldstream P>ridge was opened for traffic in the
autumn of 1766, and the elegant bridge at the con-
fluence of the Leader with the Tweed, in the begin-
ning of the present century. § All the old bridges
* Ketours, No. 282.
t All the passages on the river seem to have been in the
hands of the clergy. In 1199, when the Bridge of Berwick
was earned away by the flood, a dispute arose between the
King and the Bishop of Durham, as to rebuilding it, as it
abutted on his land. The bridge which they erected only
lasted nine years. In 1334, the bishop got a grant of the
passage. — AylofF Cal. 147.
X The present bridge at Berwick, of 16 arches, was built
of stone in the reign of Elizabeth. — Wallis' Northumberland,
vol. ii. p. 41. It is said that it is founded upon wool packs,
from the sources whence the rxponsos of building were drawn.
§ Vol. i. pp. 75 77.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 25
which existed during the days of the Komans, and
in the period of Border contention, had fallen into
decay or been destroyed. Perhaps no bridge on the
river was the scene of greater strife than the Bridge
of Roxburgh. It is a pity there is no evidence to mark
the exact situation of this well-contested access.
In Patten's Narrative of Somerset's expedition, it
is stated that between Kelso and Roxburgh there
had been a great stone bridge with arches, which the
Scots had broken down to prevent the English cross-
ing over to them.* In 1370, Edward III. granted the
burgesses of Roxburgh forty merks for the repair of
this bridge.f In 1398, Sir Philip Stanley, the Cap-
tain of Roxburgh Castle, claimed for the King of
England ^2000, against the Earl of Douglas' son
and others, for having broken the bridge, burnt the
burgh, and destroyed a great quantity of hay and
fuel. J In 1410 the bridge was again broken down
by the Earl of March and others.§ In the burgh
books of Kelso, there is an entry under March, 1718,
bearing that Sir William Kerr of Greenhead's house
and offices at Bridgend were burned, with all his
* Patten says that the Tweed at Kelso was of great depth
and swiftness, running thence eastward into the sea at Ber-
wick, and was notable and famous for two commodities,
especially salmon and whetstones.
t " Pro reparatione et emendatione pontes ultra aquam de
Twede."— Rotuli Scotia?, vol. i. p. 937.
% Border History, p. 365. § lb. p. 380.
26 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
furniture and goods. This place was situated in
the policy of Springwood Park, a little way to the
south of the old graveyard, and at a place where
the river Teviot was forded before the erection of
the present bridge. In the map of Timothy Pont,
drawn by him in the beginning of the 17th century,
published after his death in Blaeu's Atlas Scotise in
1655, a fort is seen near the mouth of the Teviot;
and in Stobie's map of 1772, a considerable num-
ber of houses are shown on the right bank of the
Teviot, a short way above Maxwellheugh Mill.
This place could not have got its name from the
old bridge which was carried away by the floods,
because it was only erected in 1754, and the
name existed long before that date. There must
have been a bridge here in early times, either
over the Teviot or on the Tweed, which imposed a
name upon the place, although the bridge over
the Tweed, connecting Eoxburgh with Kelso, has
always been looked for higher up the river, yet
it may have been in this locality. The pre-
sent bridge was begun in 1800, and finished in
1803, at a cost, including approaches, of about
,£18,000. It is, in length, 494 feet, breadth
of roadway, 25 feet, and its height from the foun-
dation is about 57 feet. There are five ellipti-
cal arches, the span of each being 72 feet, and
the piers 14 feet. The late Mr. Rennie was the
architect; and it is said that Waterloo Bridge over
EOXBUEGHSHIKE, ETC. 27
the Thames in London was built after the same
plan. The structure is very elegant, and is worthy
of the lovely locality in which it is placed. There
is a fine painting of Kelso by Macculloch, in which
the bridge is a prominent object.* "Few scenes,"
* In addition to what is stated in vol. i. p. 73, as to the
river Tweed, I may further refer to an earthquake which
happened in April 27, 1656, and which followed the course
of the Tweed from its source to the ocean. The shock was
felt only in the river and places adjacent, but in no other
part of the kingdom. — Balfour's Annals, vol. iv. p. 8. In
the Newcastle Journal, March 19, 1748, is a letter from a
gentleman in Scotland, stating that, on the 25th of January
previous, the river Teviot, for two miles before it joins the
river Tweed, had stopped its current, and its channel became
dry, leaving the fishes on dry ground, many of which were
taken up by the country people, and sold at Langton and
other places. It continued in that condition for the space of
nine hours ; and when it resumed its course, it did so gradu-
ally, till it ran as usual, but in no greater quantity. On the
19th February of the same year, the river Kirtle was dry for
six hours, leaving fishes at the bottom, which alarmed the
country so much, that Sir William Maxwell, who lived within
500 yards of it, and many of the country people, rode along
the banks of the river, and found it dry for six miles, but
could not find out the cause of the water stopping. Four
days afterwards, the river Esh itself stopped its course, and
the channel became quite dry, except some deep holes, for
the space of six hours. The strangeness of the facts com-
municated, and the doubtfulness of the public concerning
them, induced the proprietors of the journal to make inquiries
on the subject from persons living on the spot, and they re-
ceived a report from a gentleman of whose veracity they had
faith, and who was in part an eye-witness. He stated that
28 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
says the writer of the New Statistical Account of
the Parish, "are more imposing than that which
opens to the tourist, as he descends from the oppo-
site village of Maxwellheugh, with the prospect
beneath him of this fine architectural object, the
he observed the Esk sink several inches perpendicularly that
day, and at first attributed it to frost, or the dryness of the
times, but he considered that the greatest frosts, nor the
greatest drought in summer, never had such effect. The
rivers Sark and Liddell stopped their course, and the shallows
became dry, on Saturday the 20th of February ; Sarlc, near
Philipstown, in the parish of Kirk Andrews ; Esk and Tine
were both dry on the 25th ; Esk, at a place called the Row,
about a mile below Langton ; as also above Langholm and
Tine near West Linton; Kirtle was dry some days before,
near Springhill. There was some little water running among
the small stones, but several persons passed through without
wetting their feet. The places where Esk and Liddell were dry
are seldom under sixteen or eighteen inches deep in the driest
times. There was very little frost on the Esk that day.
There was no swell of the water as if stopped by frost, but a
general sink or lessening of the water. Liddell was dry in
the afternoon, and the other rivers in the morning, and con-
tinued so till ten o'clock, when they began to flow again
gently, and rose to the usual height in a short time. The
reporter concludes by saying that "this account is not disputed
here any more than that the sun shines in the clearest day."
In the same journal, March 5, 1753, it is stated "that some
years ago the river Tweed was dried up near Peebles, from
six in the morning till six at night, the current being sus-
pended during that time, of which many persons were eye-
witnesses." Since the first volume of this work was pub-
lished, a stoppage of the river Tweed was observed about
Innerleithen, and which was attributed to frost.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 29
majestic Tweed, the picturesque town and abbey,
and the noble background of the castle, woods, and
surrounding heights of Floors *
The Town, while the property of the monks,
formed part of the regality of the Abbey. Soon
after the Eeformation, it was granted to Francis,
Earl of Bothwell, but returned to the Crown at his
forfeiture in 1594. In 1605, it was bestowed on
Sir Robert Ker, of Cessford, the ancestor of the pre-
sent Duke of Roxburghe. In 1634, Kelso, which
was previously included in the barony of Holydean,
was separated and erected into a free burgh of
barony, with powers to the baron and his male heirs
in all time to receive and admit new burgesses, to
appoint baillies, clerk, officers, and other members
necessary for the government of the burgh, to hold
weekly public markets, and two free fairs yearly
for the space of eight days, to receive and uplift
the customs and duties thereof, and to apply the
same to the common good of the burgh, and to
establish regulations for the general good of the
town, advancement of trade, and encouragement of
manufactures. The town was incorporated after the
passing of the act, but the sett in existence is dated
1757, and under it the town is governed by a baillie
appointed by the Duke of Roxburghe, and fifteen
* New Statistical Account, p. 321.
30 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
stentmasters. The corporate bodies are seven : viz.,
the merchant company, skinners, weavers, tailors,
shoemakers, hammermen, and fleshers. These bodies
admit freemen, and enforce obedience to the regula-
tions of the burgh. Each trade elects its preses and
deacons. The baillie judges in all disputes as to ad-
mission to the trades, and holds courts for the deci-
sion of cases falling under his jurisdiction. The
inhabitants having some years ago adopted the
Police Act, the town may now be said to be almost
entirely under the management of the Commissioners
of Police, elected by the ten-pound householders.
The Eecords of the Burgh Court commence in 1647,
Andrew Ker of Maison Dieu, baillie of the regality.
The earliest date in the convenery trade books is in
1 658. The Merchant Company's Kecord, so far as
yet discovered, does not go back farther than 1771.
The power of the baillie, as well as the customs of
the inhabitants of the town, may be illustrated by a
few excerpts from the burgh books previous to the
passing of the Heritable Jurisdiction Act in 1749.
In 1641, certain acts were passed by the baillie of
the regality — Patrick Don — with the view of keep-
ing good neighbourhood among the neighbours of
the nether fields at Kelso, with consent of the hail
neighbours and persons concerned, viz., " That no
person whatsoever presume to lift or take away any
march stones betwixt neighbours' lands, under a
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 31
penalty of fifty shillings to the Burlaw men/'* No
person presume to gather other men's pease, or to
gleane the same, without leave asked and given by
the owners thereof, under pain of five pounds to the
baillie, and fifty shillings to the Burlaw men for ilk
fault. No persons whatsoever offer to lead away
stones, or clay, or pick broom off other persons'
lands or dykes, without leave asked and given by the
owners of said lands, under penalty of forty shillings ;
that no person gather thistles or weeds from among
the corn without leave asked and given. No person
in the time of harvest to bring in any shorn corn,
either peas, oats, or other corn, into town after eight
o'clock at night, though the corn be their own. In
1711, "the whilk day the baillie {Gilbert Ker) un-
derstanding that there are several prentices, journey-
men, and other persons molests and troubles the
boys at the Grammar School in the Churchyard
whyle at their innocent dyvertione, and that to the
effusion of their blood, and hazard of their lives;
and considering the laudable custom of this place
for crushing fresh abuses, does ratify and approve
thereof; and farder, whatever damage is done to the
* Each barony had its Burlaw men, for the settlement of
disputes between neighbours, as to any loss or injury sustained
by the cattle belonging to each other. They met forthwith
on the ground, and administered summary justice. The word
itself means short law, or speedy justice.
32 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
scholars, it is hereby declared, that parents shall be
liable for their children, and masters for their ser-
vants, prentices, and journeymen, as guilty of blood
wyt, and in case of not in a condition to pay the
fine, ordains application to be made to the justices
of the peace for delivering them over as knaves or
other public pests and vagabonds, and ane extract
hereof to be given to the next district meeting of
the justices of the peace here/' In 1716, the same
authority endeavoured to prevent football from being
played within his jurisdiction : " Forasmuch as there
were several unallowable abuses, tumults, and riots
committed the last year at the football, and that the
same did create feud and enmity amongst several of
the neighbours and inhabitants, and also consider-
ing, by divers old laws and acts of Parliament, the
football is discharged: these do therefore prohibit
and discharge the football from being played by any
of this jurisdiction, either within the town or the
precincts thereof/' In 1717, Baillie Chatto passed
the following enactment, which shows the rudeness
of a comparatively modern age :*"" The baillie, in ane
lawful fenced court this day, having considered of
ane evil custom and practice of the feuars' servants,
and others who possess the land, and labours the
same in Kelso, that they compel their neighbour
servants at their entry to serve any master in this
place, to give money or ale to them under the notion
of brothering the said men servants, and, in case of
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 33
refusal, abuses their masters by taking away their
pleugh and other labouring graith, to the great dis-
turbance of the peace in this town and incorporation,
which ought to be prevented in time to come.
Therefore, and for remeid thereof, the baillie, by the
force of this act, prohibits and discharges all the
servants within the burgh, and commonly called
Whipmen* frae craving, forcing, or exacting frae
* The society or brotherhood against which the law was
directed consisted of farmers' servants, ploughmen, and car-
ters, commonly called whipmen. The regulations of the
society were secret. Once a-year a public meeting was held,
for the purpose of amusement, at which the members were
dressed in their best clothes, and heads adorned with bunches
of ribbons, hanging over their shoulders. The members
assembled in the market-place about eleven o'clock forenoon,
mounted on horses, armed with clubs and wooden hammers,
in military form, from whence they marched, with drums beat-
ing, music playing, and flags waving, to the common, about
half-a-mile from the town, the place of rendezvous, to their
sports. The first part of the performance, which was called
the cat in barrel, consisted in putting a cat into a barrel
stuffed with soot, and hung up upon a beam fixed upon two
high poles, under which the members rode in succession,
striking the barrel as they passed with their clubs or ham-
mers. On the barrel being broken, the cat jumped down
from the sooty prison, when it soon fell a victim to the whip-
men and the crowd of townspeople assembled to witness
the sports. A goose was next hung up by the feet on the
beam, and the members then rode one after another under it,
each trying to catch hold of the head in passing, till some
lucky brother plucks off the head, and carries it away in
triumph. Horse-races followed, after which the brotherhood
VOL. III. D
34 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
any other servant, new or old, any money or ale,
coming under the notion of their right frae tenantry
or brotherhood, or molesting or troubling them or
their masters' pleugh graith, on the head foresaid,
with certification, he or they who shall transgress
this act shall ilk ane of them pay a fine to the Pro-
curator-fiscal of the soume often groats toties quoties;
and further, that there has been a base custom
among the said whipmen of electing and choosing
of ane of their ain number to be their lord or baillie,
and ane other to be their officer, whereby they, to
the disturbing of the peace, make laws and orders
among themselves, contrare to the laws of the king-
dom, and their masters' prejudice, such as the dis-
charging any of their number to work, when any of
them are convened before the magistrate for misde-
meanours and offences, so that they turn to a party,
and mob, and threatens, and dares the magistracy
and authority itself, which ought to be prevented in
time coming. Wherefore, for preventing the like
returned to Kelso, and ended the day in feasting and drink-
ing. These cruel sports continued to be practised down to
the beginning of the present century, when they ceased, and
the sports confined to running races, chiefly in consequence
of strictures written by Robert Mason, a native of Kelso,
published in 1789 by James Palmer, the founder of the news-
paper press in Kelso. It is thought that the strong arm of
authority was directed against the whipmen, not only on
account of the practices mentioned in the proclamation, but
also that the society was secret, and at that period deemed
dangerous.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 35
in time coming, the baillie discharges the said ser-
vants, called whipmen, from choosing any baillie or
lord officer amongst themselves, or to convene them-
selves as formerly, under any pretence whatsoever,
and that with certification, the contravener thereof,
by choosing or being choosed, or meeting as above,
shall pay a fine, ilk person guilty, of ^10 Scots toties
quoties; and discharges the whole inhabitants of the
town from giving the said whipmen shelter for such
meetings, or selling ale to them on such occasions, and
that under the penalty and certification aforesaid."
The Markets and Trade of the Town. — The
markets of Kelso appear at a very early period.
By a charter of William the Lion, the monks of
Kelso were allowed right of market under certain
restrictions. The men of the monks living in the
town were allowed to buy in the town fuel, materials
for building, and provisions, on any day of the week
excepting the day of the king's statute market at
Eoxburgh ; they might expose in their own windows,
bread, ale, and flesh ; any fish which they had car-
ried to Eoxburgh, either on horseback or in wains,
and which remained unsold, might also be exposed
in their windows for sale ; dealers passing through
the town with wains should not unload or sell, but
pass on to the king's market at Eoxburgh. On the
day of the statute market at Eoxburgh, it was de-
clared unlawful to sell or buy anything in Kelso ;
36 THE HISTOKY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and the inhabitants of that place were enjoined on
that day to go to the king's market, and buy what
they wanted in common with his burgesses of Rox-
burgh, according; to their customs.*
The weekly market of the town is held on Fridays,
and is attended by a great number of people, at
which grain of every kind is sold by sample, both
in the market-place and in the Corn Exchange — a
large, elegant, and commodious building, erected by
subscription in 1856. There are also two market
days for hiring servants, before each term of Mar-
tinmas and Whitsunday. In March, there are good
markets for horses ; and, during the winter season,
monthly markets for sheep and cattle. The butchers
used to offer flesh for sale in a public market, but for
many years they have followed the regulations laid
down in the charter of William the Lion, and exposed
it in their shop windows. The foundation of the
Abbey was the epoch of trade in Kelso. The monks
and their men in early days were skilled as artisans.
Between 1165 and 1171, William the Dyer lived in
Kelso.*)- The various dealings in this town were
greatly promoted by the establishment of a branch
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 15, 305.
t lb. — Dyers were forbidden to be drapers, and the wools
of Scotland were, during the 14th and 15fch centuries, draped
in Flanders. The nation was supplied with mercerie and
habcrdasherie out of the low countries.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 3?
of the Bank of Scotland in 1774. At present there
are five bank agencies in the town.
Literature. — Under this head the libraries of
the town may be first noticed. The Kelso library
was founded in 1750, and contains about 6000
volumes. It is kept in a commodious building at
the Chalkheugh, the property of the shareholders.
In the library is a manuscript copy of Archbishop
Spottiswoode's History of the Church of Scotland.
The date of the copy is supposed to have been after
1625, as it contains an unsigned "Epistle Dedica-
torie" to Charles I. The volume bears the word
" Lauderdale" and it is thought to have been one
of two MSS. of the work possessed by the Duke of
Lauderdale, and disposed of at a sale by auction of
his Grace's books, in " Tom's Coffee-house, Ludgate-
hill," in 1692, by a friend of Evelyn's to whom they
had been pawned. The catalogue of the sale con-
tains two MSS. of Spottiswoode's work, Nos. 1 1 and
12. The Duke of Lauderdale died in 1682. This
MS. is said, by Bishop Russell, to be an exact copy,
with the exception of a few verbal alterations, of a
manuscript marked "Ex bibliotheca apud Spottis-
woode," which was put into his hands by the present
representative of the Primates family* The New
* Preface, by Bishop Russell, to a new edition of Spottis-
woode's History of the Church of Scotland, p. 3.
38 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Library, founded in 1778, and the Modern Library
in 1800, were united in 1858, and consist of about
4000 volumes. There are also libraries in connec-
tion with the churches of the town. The "Physical
and Antiquarian Society" was founded in 1834.
A suitable building has been erected in Koxburgh-
street, adjoining the Chalkheugh Library, and in
which is an extensive collection of rare and valuable
specimens of natural history and antiquities. Sir
T. M. Brisbane is President. The Society was for-
tunate in securing the services, as Secretary, for
many years, of the accomplished Dr. Charles Wil-
son, late of Kelso, while the skill exhibited by Mr.
Heckford in the preservation of the animals is not
surpassed by the best artists in London. The first
newspaper started in Kelso was the British Chro-
nicle, or Union Gazette, in 1783, by a person of the
name of James Palmer. It was published every
Friday morning in Bridge-street, and adjoined the
Bank of Scotland. The Chronicle advocated liberal
principles, which gave offence to those who held
different opinions, and the result was the establish-
ment of the Kelso Mail, under the superintendence
of James Ballantyne, which still continues to be the
organ of conservatism. At this press the first edi-
tion of the Border Minstrelsy was printed. In
March, 1823, the Border Courier was brought out
by the late John Mason, in opposition to the Mail,
but failed to gain sufficient support, and the last
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 39
number was published in the October following. In
1832, the Kelso Chronicle was set on foot by the
Whigs of the district, for the purpose of advocating
the principles of the party, and is still in existence.
About three years ago, a reading-roomw&s erected by
shareholders, and is well supplied with newspapers.
The Schools of Kelso have long been famed for
eminent masters. In the Grammar School the Latin
and Greek classics are taught, with French, geogra-
phy, and mathematics. The rector has the maxi-
mum salary and the statutory accommodation.
The fees charged are, for classics, 10s. per quarter,
and for mathematics, 10s. 6d. The late Dr. Dymock,
one of the rectors of the Grammar School of Glas-
gow, was master of this school from 1791 till 1808,
and during that period attracted to the seminary
sons of the most eminent scholars of the day. It
was at this school that the great novelist Scott re-
ceived part of his education. The master of the
English School has a salary of £o, lis. Id., paid
equally by the heritors of the landward part of the
parish and the burgh, and the interest of <£J240 of
money mortified for teaching poor scholars recom-
mended by the kirk-session. The fees charged are,
for reading, 3s. 6d., for writing, 4s. 6d., arithmetic,
6s. 6d. There are also a number of excellent pri-
vate schools in the town, and boarding-schools for
young ladies. Besides the week-day schools, there
40 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
are Sabbath schools connected with the Established
Church and dissenting congregations in the town.
The town of Kelso has long been famed for its
Races. The original course was on Caverton Edge,
and afterwards, for a few years, on Blakelaw Edge.
In 1822, James, late Duke of Eoxburghe, converted
the Berry Moss into one of the finest race-courses
in the kingdom. It is a mile and a quarter round,
sixty feet broad, and from there being no rising
ground, the horses are seen distinctly from the
starting till the termination of the race. On the west
of the course is an elegant stand, with suitable ac-
commodation. There is a spring and an autumn
meeting, the latter often enhanced by the presence
of the Caledonian Hunt. The first race run on the
new course was in September, 1822.
The Manoe of Kelso and Abbey. — Although
the first intimation of Kelso is to be found in the
charter of David I., there can be little doubt that a
town and church existed there at an earlier period.
At the date of the charter, a church, dedicated to St.
Mary, was planted in that situation ; but the state
of the country may be inferred from Edenham being
described as a waste in the days of King Edgar, who
reigned between 1097 and 1107. At that period
the manor of Kelso was the property of the King,
and remained so till 1128, when it was granted by
David to the monks of the order of St. Benedict,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 41
whom he had settled in the desert at Selkirk, in
1113.* There is no information existing to point
out the exact boundaries of the manor of Kelso, but
it is thought to have comprehended the whole parish
of Kelso lying on the north of the river Tweed, if
not all the land lying between Brocsmouth and the
influx of the Eden. When Malcolm IV. confirmed
the grant of his grandfather David, he described it
as " the town of Kelcho, with its due bounds in land
and water, discharged quit and free from every bur-
den; also the lands which Gerold gave me near the
confines of the said town, which lands came down
to the road which goes to Naythantliyrn" At the
date of this charter there was only one town of
Kelso; but in the reign of Robert I., two towns
appear in the records. The wester town seems to
have been incorporated at an early period, and
governed by a 'provost, between 1165 and 1214.
During the reign of William, Arnold the son of
Peter of Kelso granted a messuage and some land,
with a toft and croft in Kelso, and three shillings of
annual rent paid by Ralph, the provost of the
burgh. In 1323, the burgesses of wester Kelso
appeared in the court of the abbot, and acknow-
ledged that they had done wrong in making a new
burgess without his consent. In an old rent-roll of
the abbey, supposed to have been made up about
* Foundation Charter of Kelso. Chron. Mail. p. 64.
42 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the beginning of the 14th century, easter Kalchou
is entered as being in their own hands, and the mill
of the easter town is said to be rented at c£J22. It
is impossible to say, with any degree of certainty,
the distinct boundaries of these two towns, but I
think it may be fairly inferred, that the principal
or wester town of Kelso lay along the river's bank,
beyond the Duke of Koxburghe's old garden. The
garden wall runs across what was of old the market-
place of Kelso. The feuars of the third generation
by-gone could point out to their children their for-
mer steadings in the burgh. The market cross of
this town stood, it is said, north of the Coblehole,
from whence it was removed to the King's Tree.
During the night the cross was abstracted from this
place, and all trace of it has as yet been lost. A little
to the west, and nearly opposite to St. James Fair-
stead is the Faie-ceoss, which appears to have been
in former times a village ; and after the erection of
Broxfield into a barony, it was one of the seats of
the baronial court. In the valuation-book of the
county of Roxburgh, made up in 1791, and cor-
rected to 1811, is entered as belonging to Isabella
Trotter, " a small piece of ground surrounded by the
pleasure-grounds of Floors;" and "lands in Fair-
cross" are stated as having formerly belonged to
Eichard Learmonth.* The abbot's seat or stead was
* Valuation Book, p. 43.
EOXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 43
at the Pipewell-brae, or ground which now forms a
part of the estate of Henderside. In the valuation-
book already referred to, there are a number of fields
entered as being situated in this locality. Baillie
John Jerdone was possessed of " one enclosure in
Abbotseat." Charles Williamson has two enclos-
ures there, and the heirs of Robert Happer three
enclosures in Abbotseat.* In the Retour of the
service of John Duke of Roxburghe, in 1696, the
manor of Kelso is described as comprehending the
lands called Almirielands and bakehouses of Kelso,
the mills thereof, the fishings on the Tweed, and
four ferry boats on the river, "the lands called
Westercrofts ; the lands of Broombalks and Hoitt ;
Broomlands; lands of Angreflat; the lands of
Broomcroft ; the lands of Towncrofts ; lands of
Blackbalks and west meadows ; the lands of Eshie-
heugh, and all other moors and mosses lying near to
the town of Kelso, and which were of old possessed
by the abbots of Kelso and their tenants/'-f- There
can be no doubt, however, that nearly all the pre-
sent town of Kelso, built on the haugh, including
the market-place, is erected upon what was for-
merly the gardens and domestic buildings of the
abbey. In the rent-roll given up by the Earl of
Roxburghe, in 1630, there were twenty-seven
feuars of the lands in the town and territory of
* Valuation Book, pp.41-43. t Eetours, No. 318.
44 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Kelso ; twenty-one feuars of Willands and crofts in
Kelso.
The colony was settled in Selkirk by David, to
be near his castle and hunting-seat in the forest,
where he often lived while Earl of Cumberland.
While the abbey was erected near to the earl's castle
and village, the men of the monks soon reared a
town, which became known in after times as the
Abbot's Selkirk, to distinguish it from the town of
the king. Kadulphus was the first abbot of this
fraternity, and who became abbot of Tyrone on the
death of Bernardus in 1115* The second abbot,
William, remained at Selkirk till the death of
Kadulphus, whom he succeeded as abbot of Tyrone
in ] 118.f The third abbot of Selkirk, and the first
of Kelso, was Herbert, who afterwards rose to be
Bishop of Glasgow at the death of John in 1147.J
But on Roxburgh being chosen as a royal residence,
Selkirk became inconvenient forboth king and monks.
It is probable that between 1124 — when David as-
cended the throne — and 1128, preparations had been
made at Kelso for the reception of the monks, and the
charter only granted when the accommodation was
sufficient for the fraternity. While these works were
proceeding, there can be little doubt that the monks
* Chron. Mail. p. 65. t lb. p. 66.
% lb. p. 66, " Et illi successit Herbertus Monachus postea
primus abbas de Kelchou." lb. 73, " Obiit Johannes Glas-
guensis Episcopus et Herbertus abbas de Calchou successit ei."
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 45
were lodged at Koxburgh by their pious founder.
Sir James Balfour positively states that, " in May,
1125, David translated the Abbey of Selkirk to
Koxburgh ;" but it is more likely that the complete
removal of the fraternity did not take place till 11 28,
the date of the charter, although the great body of
the monks and their men might be engaged in the
erection of the house from the time David became
king. Considering the character of David, a proper
location for his favourite monks would be one of his
earliest cares on being raised to the throne. It is
hardly possible at this day to appreciate the great
benefits conferred on a district by the foundation of
an abbey or religious house within its bounds.
The inmates of these houses carried not only the
gospel into the wilds and waste places of the
land, but peace and civilization followed in their
footsteps ; they stood between the oppressed poor,
the serf, and slave, and the feudal tyrant and mili-
tary spoilers of those benighted times. The abbeys
were the sole depositaries of learning and the arts
through many centuries of ignorance. The monks
collected manuscripts, and made copies of valuable
works. In the Scriptorum silent monks were con-
stantly employed making copies of the Bible, which
were sometimes sold, but were oftener "bestowed
as precious gifts, which brought a blessing equally
* Balfour's Annals, vol. i. p. 10.
46 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
to those who gave and those who received." To
these Benedictines are we indebted for nearly the
whole of the works of Pliny, Sallust, and Cicero.
They were the earliest painters, and the fathers of
Gothic architecture, the inventors of the gamut, and
the first who instituted a school of music was Guido
d'Arizzo, a monk. They were the greatest farmers
of the early times, and the first agriculturists who
% brought intellect and science to bear on the cultiva-
tion of the soil. Wherever they carried the cross,
the plough also appeared. In the number of their
flocks they rivalled kings and nobles. " The extra-
ordinary benefit which they conferred on society by
colonizing waste places — places chosen because they
were waste and solitary, and such as could be re-
claimed only by the incessant labour of those who
were willing to work hard and live hard — lands often
given because they were not worth keeping — lands
which, for a long time, left their cultivators half-
starved and dependent on the charity of those who
admired what we must too often call fanatical
zeal — even the extraordinary benefit, I say, which
they conferred upon mankind by thus clearing
and cultivating, was small in comparison with the
advantages derived from them by society, after
they had become large proprietors, landlords, with
more benevolence, and farmers with more intelli-
gence and capital than any others."* Take the
* Maitland's Dark Ages.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 47
House of Kelso as an illustration. When David
placed the community at Selkirk, the district was
overgrown with woods, nearly uninhabited, except
by the beasts of the forest. But in a short time a
town was built and peopled; churches were raised;
the waste was converted into fruitful fields; the
rose was seen to blossom where the bramble formerly
grew. On the sources of the Beaumont and the
Cayle, numerous herds of cattle and flocks of sheep
covered the sides of the mountains, and corn waved
on the summits of many of the hills. Mills were
erected in the granges to grind the corn belonging
to the monks, as well as the produce of their neigh-
bours' lands. The deserts of Liddesdale were colo-
nized by them at a time when it was dangerous for
a Christian to be found in that wild region. For
many years a monk of Kelso lived in the waste near
to Hermitage Castle, preaching to the rude men of
the district. So early as the days of William the
Lion, the monks had converted the morasses on the
upper parts of the Ale into arable lands. Where-
ever they had a grange, they built cottages for the
persons employed in labouring on the land, or tend-
ing the flocks of sheep, or herds of cattle and swine.
They built bridges and made roads throughout the
whole country. In the Abbey the sons of the nobi-
lity were boarded and educated.* To qualify the
* In 1260, Matilda of Moll granted her thirds in the lands
Moll to the abbots and monks of Kelso, on condition that of
48 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
monks for being instructors of youth, one or more
of them were generally in England studying the
liberal faculties and sciences*
While an examination of the Chartulary tells of
the wealth of the Monastery in its lands and houses,
studs, flocks, and herds, it also exhibits an interest-
ing picture of the social condition of the people
during the 12th and 13th centuries. At first the
lands were cultivated by the bondsmen and villeyns
belonging to the Abbey,-f- but in the progress of time
the hamlets to which a district of land was attached
gradually came to be occupied by the free tenants,
who rented each a husbandland, and the cattle and
swine of all the husbandmen or tenants pastured on
they should board and educate her son with the best boys
who were entrusted to their care. — Lib. de Calchou.
* In the Book of Kelso there is the form of a license to
enable a monk to go to England to study.
t These men might all be bought and sold with the land.
In 1144, David granted to the abbot of Kelso the church of
Lesmahago, and all Lesmahago, with the men — cum homini-
bus. In 1116, Waldeve, the Earl, gave to the same monks
Halden and William, his brother, and all their children
and their posterity. Andrew, the son of Gilbert Fraser, gave
the monks some lands in the lordship of Gordon, with Ada,
the son of Henry del Hoga my vileyn and all his issue :
" Nativo meo cum tota sequla sua." All the prisoners not
ransomed remained in bondage, and on the Borders they got
the name of Cumerlach, from their constant wailing while
working in the field. In the charters they are styled
"Fugitivos.n
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 49
the common of the hamlet * There were also a
number of cottages in the hamlet in which labourers
lived, who possessed with each house a croft of
about an acre of land, and the right of pasturing
their cows and swine on the common, which con-
sistedof pasture-land and woodland. When the hamlet
increased to the size of a village, a mill, malt-kiln,
and brewhouse appeared. Each of these husband-
lands f used to rent in Eoxburghshire on an average
of 6s. 8d. yearly, and services, such as the husband-
man shearing for four days with his wife and whole
family ; carrying a wainload of peats to the stable-
yard, and one cart-load of peats to the abbey in
summer ; travelling to Berwick with one horse-cart
once in the year ; finding a man to wash the sheep,
and another man to shear them, and assisting to
carry the wool of the Grange to the abbey. While
performing these services, the husbandmen generally
got their victuals at the abbey; but those who
* In 1160, John, the abbot of Kelso, granted to Osbern,
his man, half-a-carrucate of land in Midlem, he becoming a
freeman, and paying yearly a rent of 8s. A carrucate of land
was as much land as could be tilled by a plough with eight
oxen. The same abbot granted to his man Walden the eighth
part of Currokis for half-a-merk yearly, and the third part of
Auchenlee, paying for it 2s. 3d. yearly.
t A husbandland was generally equal in extent to a bovate
or oxgate, consisting of six, thirteen, and occasionally nine-
teen acres. The extent depended on the number of oxgates
granted to the husbandmen.
VOL. HI. E
50 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
washed and sheared the sheep often did so without
victuals. To supply the want of capital, every hus-
bandman was in use to lease with his land two oxen,
one horse, three chalders of oats, six bolls of barley,
and three bolls of meal ; a practice which is thought
to be the origin of Steelbow* The cottages rented
at about eighteen pence yearly; six days' labour
in autumn; to assist at the washing and shearing
the sheep of the Grange; and weeding the corn of
the abbot.-)- The abbot was entitled to take from
every house in every hamlet before Christmas a cock
for a penny. A brewhouse usually rented for about
6s. 8d. yearly, with this condition, that the brewer
was bound to sell the abbot a lagen and a half of
ale — equal to about seven quarts — for a penny. A
* Steelbow is supposed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon
steel, signifying the state of the thing, its condition ; and bod
in the British, bo in the Irish, and bye in the Saxon, mean
habitation ; steelbow, the condition of the habitation. On the
tenant entering into the subject, an inventory was taken of
the goods belonging to the lord, and declared in the language
of the lease of the 14th century, " Alle this to leve and to
delivere to the said William Skrene or to his heyres at the
termes endeV — Madox, p. 144. The leases were for fifty
years, or for life, and the widow of the tenant enjoyed
the subjects during life. The monks were liberal landlords
and indulgent masters. Stellnet seems to have the same
meaning as steelbow, a fixed net at a particular place for
fishing.
t The cottages were formed of wood and turf, and of the
value of about 20s. Houses were deemed of little import-
ance, the value was attached to the land.
ROXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 51
great quantity of malt was used during the 12th
century, and it is supposed that the mill of Ednam
alone ground not less than 1000 quarters of malt
yearly.* All these services were, about 1 297, com-
muted into a payment in money. The monastery
acquired from the kings general grants of the
use of their forests for pasturage, panage, and for
cutting wood for building and burning, and for all
other purposes. Earl David granted such a right to
the abbot and convent of Selkirk, and on his
ascending the throne, he renewed the grant in favour
of the house of Kelso. David II. conferred on them
a special grant of wood out of Jed forest to repair
the abbey. Besides these royal grants, they en-
joyed special grants from barons of the same privi-
leges in particular forests, which extended not only
to the monks, but to their men, all who were
engaged in the cultivation of their lands, and to
their shepherds. In these forests vast herds of
* Oat malt was generally used ; malt of barley appears sel-
dom. Oat malt sold at 3s. 6d. per quarter, and barley at 4s.
4d., during the 12th and 13th centuries. An acre of oats was
valued at 6s. Oats and wheat were the grain chiefly culti-
vated at that period. Wheat sold at from 7s. to 8s. per
quarter ; flour, 6s. per quarter ; oats, 3s. 6d. ; barley, 4s. 4d. ;
pease, 2s. 9d. ; beans, 5s. ; salt, 5s. ; the carcase of an ox,
from 5s. to 6s. 8d. ; fat hogs, 2s. 2d. to 3s. 9d. — Wardrobe
account The multure paid for grinding at the mills was
fixed by King William at the sixteenth vessel for a freeman,
and a firlot out of 20 bolls as Knaveship.
•>2 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
cattle and swine were reared, and in them their
breeding mares ran in a wild state. From many
barons they had grants of a tenth of the young
stock bred in the forests. Gilbert de Umfraville
granted to the monks the tenth of the foals of his
breeding mares in the forest of Cottenshope, and the
foals were allowed to follow their dam till they were
two years old* A grant of lands often contained
a right of Scalengas, in the mountains to which the
cattle and flocks were taken to pasture during sum-
mer, and returned to the low-lying grounds at the
approach of winter. Gospatric, the Earl of Dunbar,
bestowed such a privilege of pasturage on the abbey
in the lands of Bothkel.f During the reign of
William the Lion, Patrick, another Earl of Dunbar,
granted the monks the same rights. William de
Veterepont granted to them the scalengas in Lam-
bermore, which belonged to Hornerdene.% The same
practice is described by Cambden as existing in the
wastes of Cumberland and Northumberland so late
as 1594. He says, "The herdsmen were a sort
of nomades, who lived in huts dispersed from each
other, which were called Scheales or Schaelings."§
In all the mountain districts of Roxburghshire the
* Lib. de Calchou.
t lb. " Scalingas de Bothkel per rectas suas divisas."
X Lib. de Calchou.
§ Scalingas signifies a mountain pasture, the herdsmen's
huts, and secondarily, a hamlet.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 53
word shiel or shieling is to be found in the names of
places.
In addition to the grants of wood for burning,
which seems to have been the earliest fuel, the
monks obtained grants of turves and pelts. The
principal peatries of the monastery appear to have
been in the territory of Gordon. Thomas de Gordon
granted to the monks a right to take peats from
that part of his peatry called Brun Moss, in the
territory of Gordon, with land, for the conveniency
of working the moss ; and also the liberty of pulling
heath wherever they could in the territories of
Thornditch and Gordon, and timber from his woods,
on their agreeing to allow his bones to repose in the
cemetery of Kelso. In carting the peats from this
peatry, the men of the monks required to cross the
rivulet of Blackburn on the lands of Melochstane,
which being at times attended with danger, William
de Hetely, the owner of the lands during the 13th
century, granted leave to them to build a bridge
over the stream, and to carry their peats and goods
through his grounds beyond the bridge*
The monks were also the owners of a number of
fisheries. Earl David granted to the monks of
Selkirk and their men the right to fish in the waters
around Selkirk, in the same manner and as fully as
his own men. As king, he conferred the same right
* Lib. de Calchou.
54 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
on the monks of Kelso, and added the fishings in
the Tweed from Broxmouth to the confluence of the
Eden. Malcolm IV. issued a precept to his sheriffs
and other officers in Lothian, and in his whole land,
to allow the monks the half of the fat of the royal
fishes which might be stranded on either shore of
the Forth.* In the reign of David I., Bernard de
Baliol granted to the monks at Kelso a fishing in
the Tweed at Berwick, called Wudehorn Stell, and
which was confirmed to them by the king. They
had another fishing at the same place called North-
Yare, and a fishing at Upsettlington.-f* In the 12th
century John de Huntingdon, rector of Durisdeer,
conferred on them a fishing on the Tweed called the
Folestream. They had also a fishing in Renfrew.
The monks were also possessed of Saltworks. David
I. bestowed upon them a saltwork in the carse on
the upper shore of the Forth. They had another
saltwork at Lochkendeloch on the Sol way, granted
by Roland the constable, with sufficient easements
from his woods to sustain the pans.
The monks had a right from David I. to the tenth
of all the bucks and does which his huntsmen and
hounds should take. They had also a right to a
certain portion of the cows, swine, and skins of
beasts, which he received from Nithsdale; the skins
and fat of beasts from Carrie ; the half of the skins
* Lib. de Calchou. t lb.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 55
and fat of the beasts slaughtered for his use on the
north side of the Forth, with all the skins of the
sheep and lambs; the tenth of the deer skins; and
the tenth of the cheeses he was in use to receive
from his estates in Tweeddale. The exercise of this
right became in after times so inconvenient, that
Alexander II., with the view of freeing his kitchen
from the intrusion of the monks, granted to the
monastery, in commutation thereof, one hundred
shillings yearly out of the firms of Koxburgh.*
* The monks were not always safe visitants of a kitchen.
In the neighbouring county of Northumberland, there exists
a tradition of a monk, who, strolling abroad, arrived at the
ancient house of Delavel, while the chief was absent on a
hunting expedition, but expected back to dinner. Among
the dishes preparing in the kitchen, was a pig, ordered
expressly for Delavel's own eating, which suiting the palate
of the monk, he cut off its head, reckoned by epicures the
most delicious part of the animal, and, putting it into a bag,
made the best of his way to the monastery. Delavel being
informed at his return of the doings of the monk, which he
looked upon as a personal affront, and being young and fiery,
remounted his horse and set out in search of the stealer of
his pig's head, whom overtaking, he so belaboured with his
hunting gad that he was hardly able to crawl to his cell.
The monk dying within a year and a day, although not
from the beating, his brethren made it a handle to charge
Delavel with his murder, who, before he got absolved, was
obliged to make over to the monastery, in expiation of the
deed, the manor of Elsig in the neighbourhood of Newcastle,
with several other valuable estates; and by way of an
amende honorable, to set up an obelisk on the spot where he
corrected the monk Elsig afterwards became the summer
56 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
While princes and barons borrowed money from
the monks " in their great need" and gave land in
security, it was customary for many men to resign
their lands into the hands of the monks, on obtain-
ing an obligation for a decent provision in the abbey,
where they were sure of amusement, instruction, and
pardon. In 1311, Adam de Dowan, the elder,
resigned his lands in Greenrig to the abbots and
monks, and they obliged themselves to support him
in victuals in their monastery, and to give him
yearly a robe, or one merk sterling.* The abbot,
in consideration of Eeginald de Curroch's resigning
his lands of Fincurrochs, granted to him the lands of
Little Kype, with decent maintenance in victuals for
him and a boy within the monastery. The abbot
granted to William Forman, during life, a corody of
meat and drink, such as a monk received, with a
chamber, bed, and clothes, and grass for a cow.
Andrew, the son of the foresaid Reginald, got a
pension of four merks a-year from the abbot, on his
resigning to the monastery his tenement of Little
Kype. The great of the land were anxious that
their ashes should rest in the burial-ground of the
abbey. Adam de Gordon granted important
retreat of the monks. The obelisk is said to have been ten
feet high, and on the pedestal, the inscription, " 0 horror, to
kill a man for a piggis heady The obelisk bears the name
of the Monk's Stone.
* Lib. de Calchou.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 57
privileges for interment in the cemetery; and
Margaret, the natural daughter of William the
Lion, who married Eustace de Vesci, gave lands in
Moll to the monks, to be received with her husband
and their heirs into the fraternity of the monks.*
In 1203, William de Vetrepont relinquished every
claim he had against the monks, in consideration of
their services in bringing his father's bones out of
England, and burying them in the cemetery. Earl
Henry, David's son, lies in this graveyard.-)- The
abbots enjoyed the wardship of the heirs of their vas-
sals, which was the source of great patronage and
profit. Hugh, the abbot of Kelso, from 1 236 to 1 248,
granted to Emma, the widow of Thomas de Bosco,
the custody of her son and heir till he should come of
age, "cum maritagu" of her son, she paying L.20.J
The monks exported their skins, wool,§ and corn
at Berwick, with the horse and carts of their
husbandmen and cottagers, who brought in return
coals, salt, and wine, &c. for the use of the monastery.
When Berwick was in the hands of the English
king in 1369, David II. erected Dunbar into a port,
and declared it to be co-extensive with the Earldom
* Lib. de Calchou.
t Noticed in charter of William de Vetrepont to the abbey.
X Lib. de Calchou.
§ The usual mode of packing wool in Teviotdale during
the period alluded to, was by the sack, which contained
twenty-six stones. By a statute of David II. each sack of
wool paid a duty of one penny
58 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
of March, and to be the port for Teviotdale so long
as Berwick remained in the power of the English.
Edward I. was anxious that the men of Teviotdale
should use the port of Berwick, and granted protec-
tion to them, and all the rights and privileges which
they had previously enjoyed.
Besides the granges, farms, and other possessions
in Eoxburghshire, which will be found under the
localities in which they were situated, they had pro-
perty spread over the shires of Selkirk, Berwick,
Peebles, Lanark, Dumfries, Ayr, and Edinburgh. In
Selkirkshire, David granted to the monks whom
he had placed at Selkirk the church of his castle, on
the condition that the abbot and his successors should
be chaplains to him and his successors. The king
also granted to the abbey many parcels of land in
the forest, but, being inconveniently situated, Mal-
colm IV. conjoined the whole, and excambed them
with lands lying near the town. All the lands
of the abbot were let in husbandlands of a
bovate each, with right of common pasturage for a
certain number of beasts. He had also many cot-
tages with crofts, containing each nearly an acre of
land. About the end of the 13th century, the monks
had at Selkirk, in demesne, sl carrucate and a-half of
land, which rented Jfor ten merks, fifteen husband-
lands, each containing an oxgate, which rented
for 4s., and the usual services — sixteen cottages,
with ten acres of land, one of which rented for 2s.,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 59
and the other fifteen for Is. and services. The
abbot had three brewhouses, which rented at 6s. 8d.
each, and a corn mill, which rented at five merks
yearly. Out of their demesne, they had thirty acres
separately rented at 5s., and four acres at 6s. yearly.
Alexander II. granted to the abbot of Kelso sixteen
acres of land on both sides of the Ettrick, for the
perpetual repair of the bridge of Ettrick. These
lands are known by the name of the Briglands at the
present day. The abbot held his court at the bridge
over the Ettrick. In Berwickshire, in the terri-
tory of Waderley, the monks had, during the 12th
century, five acres of tofts and crofts and five acres of
arable land, with common of pasture for 100 sheep
and forty cattle, with their lambs and calves, till
three years old, granted to them by Gilbert, the son of
Adam of Home, During the 13th century, Andrew,
the son of the late Gilbert, granted to the monks a
carrucate of land, which he had bought in the terri-
tory of Wester Gordon, and three acres of meadow
in the lordship of Gordon, with common of pasture
for five score of young cattle and 400 wedders,
wheresoever the cattle or sheep of the lord of the
manor pastured without the corn and meaclowland.*
During the days of David I., Richard de Gordon
granted to the monks of Kelso and to the church of
* The carrucate of land and privileges rented for two
merks.
60 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
St. Michael at Gordon, in free alms, a piece of land
adjacent to the churchyard at Gordon; an acre of
land in Todlaw; an acre of meadow in Hundley-
strother ; and whatever chaplain the monks placed
in the church should have the pleasure of pasturage
within his territory of Gordon, as his own men
enjoyed the same. In the state furnished by the
abbey to Robert I., they valued the church at L.20,
and added that they had at that place half-a-carrucate
of land pertaining to the church, with pasture for
1 00 young cattle and 400 sheep, and a toft whereon
to build a mansion-house for the chaplain. In
Greenlaw, Earl Gospatrick granted in 1147, to the
monks of Kelso, the church of Greenlaw, with
the chapel of Lambdene. Patrick, brother of Earl
Waldave, while he confirmed the munificence of his
father, gave them the right of pasture within the
manor of Greenlaw for 100 sheep and oxen, 4 cows,
and 1 work-horse. William, his son, added two tofts
and crofts in the town, with other lands ; and in con-
sideration of these grants, leave was given for the
erection of a private chapel in Greenlaw, on assur-
ance being given that the mother church should not
suffer thereby. At Mellerstones, they had a carrucate
of land, with common of pasture, and other easements,
within the territory. In Halyburton, David, the son of
Truck, gave them, in 1176, within his vill, the church
with two bovates of land, and some tofts and crofts,
which was confirmed by his son Walter, and, in the
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 61
reign of Alexander III., by his great-grandson Philip.
This Philip was the first who was called de Halyburg-
ton. At Fogo, the monks got the church of that place
from Gospatrick, in 1147, with a carrucate of
land, confirmed by Malcolm IV., William the Lion,
and approved of by Roger, the Bishop of St. An-
drews. William, his grandson, added the mansion
possessed by John the Dean within the adjacent
croft and contiguous land, reaching southward to
Greenrig, besides the lands which John the Dean
enjoyed with the church. During the days of David
I., the church of Langton was bestowed on the monks
by Eoger de Ow, a follower of Earl Henry, which
was confirmed by his successor, William de Vetre-
pont, who added the lands of Coleman' s-flat, in the
same parish. Allan the constable gave them five
ploughgates of land in Oxton, with easements, as a
composition for revenues which they had out of Gal-
way. In Horndean, Vetrepont gave them two acres
of meadow, called Hollenmedu. In the time of
Robert I., their property had increased to half-a-
ploughgate, with pasture for 100 ewes, 6 oxen, 2
cows, and 2 horses, along with the lord's cattle.
In Symprine, they got from Hye of that place the
church with a toft and croft, and eighteen acres of
land, under reservation of Thor the archdeacon's
liferent. At Spertildon, they had a grange which
they laboured with two ploughs; they had pasture
for fifty score of ewes, twenty score of wedders,
62 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
forty plough cattle, and great herds of swine. On
this grange they had sixteen cottages for their herds-
men, labourers, and their families. They had here a
brewhouse to supply the wants of the villagers, which
rented at 6s. At Bondington, they had two carru-
cates of land, with two tofts and common rights,
all which rented at six merks. In 1370, Nicholas
Moyses gave them his right in his cottages, with
a garden, which Tyoch, the wife of Andrew, held of
him. In Tweedmou, they had three acres of land,
and a house with a spring, for which they got 20s.
yearly. In Haddingtonshire, Allan, the son of
Walter the steward, confirmed by a charter a lease by
his men of Innerwick to the monks of Kelso for 33
years, from Martinmas, 1290, of certain woods and
pastures in that place for 20s., free of all services,
" inward or de outward/' In Humbie, Sir Eobert
de Keith, the Marshal of Scotland, granted to the
monks leave to build a mill on the lands, with a
right for their work oxen, ploughs, and carts, to pass
and repass over his lands. During the reign of
William the Lion, the monks obtained the advowson
of the church of Pencaithland from Everard de
Pencaithland. In the time of Malcolm IV., Simon
Fraser granted to the monks the church of Keith,
with the whole wood from the southern side of the
rivulet which runs near the church, with pertinents
and other privileges. A dispute arose between the
monks and the marshal as to the tribute he was
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 63
bound to pay for the church of Keith Hervie, and
so serious did it become, that the Pope delegated
Joceline, Bishop of Glasgow, and the Abbot of
Paisley, to settle the controversy, which they did
by fixing the tribute at 20s. yearly out of the living,
the marshal obliging himself to part with the church
only to the monks. In the reign of William the
Lion, they had a toft and other lands in Haddington,
at a rent of lOd. yearly. In Edinburghshire, the
monks acquired the church and lands of Dodinston
during the reign of William the Lion; but the
charter does not mention the name of the person
whose bounty added so largely to the possessions of
the abbey. The lands were erected into a barony,
and the abbots appointed their baron baillie, who
administered justice within the boundaries. Owing
to the distance of the lands from Kelso, they were
usually let on lease. About the beginning of the
13th century, the lands of Easter Duddingston,
with the half of the peatry of Camberun, were let to
Reginald de Bosco for 10 merks yearly. Thomas,
the son of Reginald, held the lands for the same
rent. In the reign of Robert I., the abbot let the
half of the manor of Wester Duddingston to Sir
William de Tushelaw for 12 merks of yearly rent.
In 1466, Cuthbert Knightson held part of the lands
of Duddingston in fee for the yearly rent of 4 merks.
This barony remained with the monks till the
Reformation, and, after successive changes, it was
()4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
purchased by James, Earl of Abercorn, in 1745,
from the Duke of Argyle. In the city of Edin-
burgh, the monks held a toft, situated between the
West Port and the Castle, on the left of the entrance
to the city. They had a tenement in the town,
which rented at 1 6d. per annum, but as to its situa-
tion, the rent-roll is silent. They had also a piece
of ground, which lay beside the Abbey of Holy-
rood, let to John Clerk* in 1492. In Peebleshire,
King William confirmed to them the church of the
Castle of Peebles, — " capellum Castelle de Peebles "
—with a carrucate of land adjacent to it, and ten
shillings yearly granted by his grandfather out of
the firms of the burgh, to found a chapel in which
to say mass for the soul of his son, Earl Henry.
The church of Innerleithen was given to them by
David I., to which Malcolm IV. added a toft, and
because the body of his son rested there the first
night after his decease, he commanded that the
church should have the same power of sanctuary as
was enjoyed by Wedale and Tyningham. In 1232,
William, the Bishop of Glasgow, confirmed the
grant of the church to the monks. They had also a
carrucate of burgage lands near the church, which
rented for 12s. per acre. At Hopecailzie, they had
three acres of land, which rented at Is. per acre.
Ralph de Clerc gave the monks the church of St.
* Acta. Dom. Coil p. 264.
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 65
Cuthbert of Galedoure: Caldour, with the tithes of
the mill, on payment of ten merks annually to the
vicar. King William confirmed to them the church
of Cambusnethan in Clydesdale, together with the
tithes of the profits of his mills. Dunsyre church
was granted by Helias, the brother of Josceline,
Bishop of Glasgow. Wicius gave the monks the
church of Wiston, of which the church of Symington
was a dependency. Thankerton was conferred by
Anneis de Brus. Kobert de Londonius, brother of
King Alexander, granted to the monks a part of his
land of Kadihu, with pasture for ten cows and ten
oxen. The convent had also an annual pension of
40s. from the church of Lynton, and they had
the church of Craufurd John. Bobert I. granted to
them the church of Eglismalescho, in Clydesdale, in
1321, as a compensation for their sufferings and
losses during the wars of the succession.* They had
an annual pension of 10 merks out of the living of
Campsie. William the Lion confirmed to the monks
the church of Gutter. Brice Douglas gave the con-
vent the church of Birnie in the beginning of the
13th century. In Dumfeies they got the church
thereof, and the church of St. Thomas, with lands,
tofts, and tithes, from King William, and four acres
of land. They had the church of Morton, Close-
l
* Robertson's Index, iii. 3.
VOL. III. F
66 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
burn, Staplegorton, and the church of Wilbalding-
ton, and the patronage of the church of Lesingibi,
Cumberland, confirmed by Pope Innocent III.
In 1144, David I. granted to the abbey the church
and whole territory of Lesmahago, for founding a
cell for monks from Kelso, and Bishop John of Glas-
gow freed it and its monks from Episcopal dues and
subjection. It was dedicated to the Virgin and St.
Machutus. The festival of the saint was on the 15th
November. The cell had a right of sanctuary to
every one who came within its four crosses to escape
peril to life and limb.* In 1296, Alexander II.
granted to the prior and convent to hold their lands
in free forest. The prior had a seat in Parliament.
In 1335, John, the brother of Edward III., burned
the abbey while on his way to Perth by the western
marches.
Colonies were sent from Kelso to the foundations
of Kilwinning, Aberbrothick, and Lindores.
The revenues of the abbey of Kelso were, at
the Eeformation, in money, i?3716, Is. 2d.; 9 chal-
ders of wheat; 106 chalders, 12 bolls, of bear ; 112
chalders, 12 bolls, and 3 firlots of meal; 4 chalders
and 11 bolls of oats. From these revenues it will
be seen that the abbot of Kelso was more opulent
than most bishops in Scotland.
The property of the abbot and convent was not
liable to be poinded or distrained.
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 9.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 67
The Annals of the Abbey and Town. — In
1147, Herbert,* the first abbot of Kelso, was raised
to the see of Glasgow, and was succeeded in his office
by Ernold, who, in 1160, was appointed bishop of
St. Andrews.*!- John, the precentor of the abbey —
a man of a very ambitious character — was the next
abbot. J In 1165, he obtained a mitre from the Pope.
He also got himself named first in the rolls of the
Scottish Parliament. The Archbishop of York having
claimed the supremacy of the Scottish Church, was
opposed with spirit by the abbot, who refused to obey
a summons to meet him at the Castle of Norham.
In the end the question was referred to the Pope,
who decided against Roger of York, and declared
the Scottish Church independent of any other, save
Rome. Flattered by the many favours conferred on
him, the abbot claimed precedence of the other reli-
gious houses in Scotland, which was not finally
settled till 1420, when a decision was given in
favour of St. Andrews. About the same time a
dispute arose between him and the monastery of
Tyrone, the abbot of Kelso claiming superiority
over the abbot of that house, from which the con-
vent of Kelso had its origin. John died in 1180,
when Osbert, the prior of Lesmahago, was elected
to the office.§ While he was abbot, Scotland was
* Chron. Mail., pp. 66, 73-76, 77-79. t lb. pp. 73, 78.
X lb. pp. 77, 90. § lb. pp. 99-92, 105.
68 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
interdicted by Pope Alexander III, which was after-
wards removed by his successor, Lucius III., who
also conferred upon the abbey of Kelso the privilege
of exemption from excommunication proceeding
from any other quarter than the apostolic see ; and
though the whole kingdom should be interdicted,
they might worship in the church with closed doors,
and in a low voice, without ringing of bells.* Dur-
ing Osbert's time, a controversy arose between the
monks of Kelso and Melrose as to the boundary be-
* It required no ordinary resolution to withstand an inter-
dict. The announcement of the interdict was usually made
at midnight, by the funereal toll of the church bells ; where-
upon the entire clergy might presently be seen issuing forth
in silent procession, by torch-light, to put up a last prayer of
deprecation before the altars, for the guilty community.
Then the consecrated bread that remained over was burnt;
the crucifixes, and other sacred images, were veiled up ; the
relics of the saints carried down into the crypts ; every me-
mento of holy cheerfulness and peace was withdrawn from
view. Lastly, a papal legate ascended the steps of the altar,
arrayed in penitential vestments, and formally proclaimed
the interdict. From that moment divine service ceased in
all the churches ; their doors were locked up, and only in
the bare porch might the priest, dressed in mourning, exhort
his flock to repentance. Kites, in their nature joyful, which
could not be dispensed with, were invested in sorrowful attri-
butes ; so that baptism could only be administered in secret,
and marriage celebrated before a tomb instead of an altar.
The administration of confession and communion was forbid-
den. To the dying man alone might the viaticum, which the
priest had first consecrated in the gloom and solitude of the
morning dawn, be given ; but extreme unction and burial in
EOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 69
tween the lands of the barony of Bolclen and the
property of Melrose. The matter was remitted by
Pope Celestine to King William, who heard the
parties at Melrose in 1202, and thereupon directed
an inquisition to be made by the honest and ancient
men of the district.* In 1204, the parties appeared
again before the king, in his court at Selkirk, when
judgment was given in favour of the monks of Kelso,
and a charter granted by him, in which the whole
proceedings were recited. Osbert died in 1203.
holy ground were denied him. Moreover, the interdict, as
may naturally be supposed, seriously affected the worldly, as
well as religious, cares of society. — (Life of Aidan, vol. iv. p.
36.) Such was the nature of the interdict under which Scot-
and lay for above three years, in consequence of King Wil-
liam resisting the pope's interference in the appointment of
a successor to Richard, Bishop of St. Andrews. The chaplain
elected the learned John Scott, and the king nominated Hugh,
his own chaplain. Roger, the Archbishop of York, legatine
of the pope, excommunicated William, and interdicted the
kingdom. The pope supported the archbishop, but William
remained firm, and swore, " by the arm of St. James, that,
while he lived, John Scott should not be Bishop of St. An-
drews." The legate then excommunicated Morville the con-
stable, and Prebenda the secretary. The king banished every
person who obeyed the pope and legate. During the contest,
both pope and archbishop died. A compromise was effected
between Pope Lucius and William; both the prelates resigned
their claims, and the pope, with the consent of the king, ap-
pointed Hugh to St. Andrews, and John to Dunkeld. Eng-
land lay under an interdict from 1207 to 1213. — (Hoveden,
599; Fordun, i. vi. c. 35, 36; Chron. Mail. 89-92.)
* " Per probos et antiquos homines patria."
70 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Geoffeey, the prior, was raised to the dignity of
abbot, and filled the office for three years * Richaed
de Cave was elected abbot, but died in two years.-)*
Heney, the prior, was elected by the monks in June,
1 208.J Next year, the Bishop of Rochester, fright-
ened from England by the fulminations of the Pope,
found an asylum in Kelso Abbey; and, though he
lived at his own expense, the King of Scotland sent
him 80 chalders of wheat, 60 of malt, and 80 of oats
— a proof that, in that age, corn was of more value
than money.§ Henry was at the general council at
Rome in 1215, for the purpose of concocting mea-
sures against the Waldenses, who preserved, in their
remote habitations, the pure truths of Christianity,
and but for the cruel measures adopted to suppress
it, would soon have overthrown the papal tyranny.
At this assembly there were 1283 prelates, 673 of
whom were bishops, including the bishops of St.
Andrews, Glasgow, and Moray. The council sat
fifteen days, at the end of which the abbot of Kelso
returned to his abbacy. The abbot died on October
5, 1218. Richaed, the prior, was called to fill the
chair; he died in 1221. || Heebeet Maunsel, the
secretary, succeeded; and, after filling the office for
* Chron. Mail. p. 105. t lb. pp. 106, 107.
X lb. pp. 107-121, 134.
§ lb. p. 109. Gilbert Glenville was at this time Bishop of
Rochester.
|| lb. pp. 134, 138.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 71
fifteen years, he resigned on September 2, on the
day of the nativity of St. Mary, when Hugh de
Maunsel was installed ;* but Otho, the Pope's
legate, in 1239, compelled Herbert to resume the
mitre, and Hugh — being a mild, peaceable man —
quietly resigned his pastoral charge.-)- The Chroni-
cler of Melrose has the death of Hugh recorded as
taking place in 1248.J About this time the abbot
and convent, and their successors, received authority
from the Pope to excommunicate known thieves and
invaders of their estates, and those guilty of doing
evil to the Church. The sentence was to be pro-
nounced with lighted candles and ringing of bells,
on a Sunday or holiday, and they had power to re-
peat the sentence every year, the Thursday before
Easter, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin, and other solemn occasions. § Eobert de
Smalhame, one of the monks, was appointed abbot,
* Chron. Mail. pp. 147, 148: "Item dompnus Herbertus
abbas calcovensis in die Nativitates beata Maria baculum
cum metri super magus altere possut et taliter pastorali
cure valedixit."
t lb. p. 150. % lb. p. 177.
§ The form of excommunication was by the priest using the
following words : " By authority of Almighty God, the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, and the blessed Mary, the mother of
God, and all the saints, I excommunicate, anathematize, and
put out of the confines of the Holy Mother Church, A. B.,
that evil-doer, with his abettors and accomplices; and unless
they repent and make satisfaction, thus may their light be
put out before Him that liveth for ever and ever ;" and at
72 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
in 1248* In 1256, Alexander, and Margaret, his
queen, made a grand procession from Roxburgh
Castle to the abbey of Kelso, where the King of
England was royally entertained.-)- The abbot died
in 1258, and was succeeded by Patrick,;}; one of
the fraternity, who retained the mitre for two years,
when he was forced to resign in favour of the in-
triguing Henry de Lambeden, the chamberlain,
whose conduct was such, that his death, in 1275, of
apoplexy, as he sat at table, was looked upon by the
inmates of the convent, and others connected with
the monastery, as a punishment for his wicked ambi-
tion. They refused to watch his corpse, and interred
him on the same day on which he died.§ Richard
was the next abbot. In 1285, he presided at a
court at Reddon, when Hugh de Revedon resigned
all the lands held by him in the baronies of Reve-
don and Home, which had been purchased by the con-
vent. || The abbot seems to have kept the writs and
titles of the nobility. In 1288, William de Duglas
gave an acknowledgment to the abbot, that he had
the same time taking lighted torches, and trampling them
out on the ground while the bells were ringing. Excommu-
nication does not seem to have produced the least effect on
the Border mosstroopers. They entertained greater fear for
the doings of the Justiciaires at Jedburgh than any monkish
ceremony.
* Chron. Mail. p. 177. t lb. p. 181.
t lb. pp. 184, 185-189. § lb. p. 189.
il Lib. de Calchou.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 73
received from him all his charters which were in the
abbot's custody.* When Bruce and Baliol disputed
the succession to the crown at the death of Kino-
Alexander, Richard was chosen by Baliol to support
his pretensions. In L296, the abbot was received
into the peace of Edward I., and the lands and pro-
perty belonging to the convent were restored.-f*
About this time Walron was abbot. In July 22,
1301, Edward I. was at Kelso on his way north.;};
The mitre was next worn by an Englishman of the
name of Thomas de Durham, it is said, by usurpa-
tion during these perilous times, till Robert Bruce
was finally established on his throne by the fortunate
result of the battle of Bannockburn, when William
de Alyncrom was made abbot. § In 1316, an ex-
change was made of the church of Cranston for
Nenthorn and chapel of Little Newton, with the
Bishop of St. Andrews. William de Dalgernock
was next abbot. He was preceptor of David II.,
the young king, and when the King of England
invaded Scotland in 1333, on the pretence of sup-
porting Baliol, David and the abbot retired into
France, where they remained nine years, and the
monastery was in charge of a warden. In 1333,
Edward granted letters of protection to the abbey, ||
and when Baliol made over the counties of Roxburgh,
* Lib. de Calchou. t Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 8.
X lb. vol. i. p. 53. § Lib. de Calchou.
|| Rotuli Scotiae, vol. i. p. 268.
74 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Berwick, and Dumfries, the abbot of Kelso was one
of those who witnessed the degradation. In 1344,
David II. granted leave to the monks to cut wood
in the forests of Jedburgh and Selkirk, to repair the
convent. He also granted to the monks that they
should possess the town of Kelso, with its pertinents,
the barony of Bolden and the lands of Redden, with
their pertinents, with exclusive jurisdiction of jus-
ticiars, sheriffs, with other privileges.* William
was abbot about 1354. In 1366, protection was
granted to the abbey and convent by the English
king.-f* In 1368, Edward III. granted liberty to the
abbot and convent of Kelso to buy victuals in Eng-
land for themselves and families, in consequence of
the miserable state to which they were reduced by
the war. J In 1373, the same king granted protec-
tion to the abbot, the monks, and the lands and
possessions of the convent. In 1378, Richard I.
granted protection to the monks of Kelso, and their
convent, and lands, wherever situated. § Pateick
is seen acting as abbot from the year 1398 to 1406.
About 1428, William was abbot. Another Wil-
liam was abbot in 1435, and continued so till 1444.
In 1460, Roxburgh Castle and town were wrested
from the English, after having continued for more
than 100 years in their possession; but it was pur-
chased by the death of the king, who was killed by
* Reg. Mag. Sig. p. 190, No. 26.
t Eotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 902. % lb. vol. i. p. 924.
§ lb. vol. ii. p. 8.
ROXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 75
the bursting of a cannon. Immediately after the
castle was taken, Prince James was solemnly crowned
in the abbey church of Kelso, in the seventh year of
his age. Allan appears as abbot between 1464
and 1466. Robert was next abbot, and George
filled the office in 1476. After James III. was slain
at Bannockburn-mill, his son James was crowned
in the abbey of Kelso in 1488. In 1490, Henry VI
granted special letters of protection and license from
the abbot and convent of Kelso, including the town
of Kelso, the town of Redden, Sprouston, Wester
Softlaw, and the barony of Bolden, and all their
lands and tenements, servants, corn, and cattle, and
all their goods, moveable and immoveable. License
was also granted to one or two monks to go with
their servants into England, and buy lead, wax, wine,
and other merchandise, for the use of the convent,
and also to go to the wardens or lieutenants of the
borders, and demand restitution of their goods.* In
1 493, Robert, the abbot of this house, was appointed
by the Three Estates one of the auditors of causes and
complaints. Henry, the prior, was famed for his
great learning. In 1 5 1 1 , Andrew Stewart, bishop,
had the abbey granted to him in trust.f Four years
after, the famous Dand Ker of Fernieherst marched
to Kelso, assaulted the abbey, took it, and turned the
superior, one of the Cessford family, out of doors.
* Kotuli Scotise, vol. ii. p. 494.
+ About this time the kings were beginning to encroach
on the privileges of the Church.
76 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
It is said that this assault took place the night after
the battle of Flodden. Thomas Ker, the brother of
Dand Ker, was the next abbot. In 1520, commis-
sion was given to the abbot to meet with Dacre,
warden of the marches, at Heppethgate-head, on the
Colledge-water, and a truce was concluded till Janu-
ary following ; at that time the abbot and Ker of
Cessford met the English warden at Redden, when
they agreed to prorogate the truce till the last day of
June. The Governor of Scotland was then anxious
to conclude a truce, but Henry rejected all offers of
peace, and prepared to march into Scotland. He
also ordered all the French and Scots to be im-
prisoned, their goods seized, themselves marked
with a cross and sent home to Scotland. In the
end of July, 1522, two of Shrewsbury's captains, the
Lords Ross and Dacre, pillaged and burnt the town.
The men of Teviotdale flew to arms, and amply re-
venged the loss they had sustained. Next year,
Dacre, one of Surrey's captains, paid a visit to Kelso,
and reduced the monastery and town to ashes. The
monks were forced to leave Kelso and take shelter
in the neighbouring villages. In 1526, the abbot
assisted in concluding a truce for three years. At
the death of Thomas Ker, James Stewart, an ille-
gitimate son of James V. by Elizabeth Schaw, was,
while in minority, made commendator of the abbey.
The abbot was a pupil of George Buchanan. In
1 542, the Duke of Norfolk entered Scotland by the
R0XBURGHSH1KE, ETC. 77
river Tweed, burning and destroying everything that
fell in his way. No place was held sacred. The
town of Kelso and the abbey, which had been par-
tially repaired since Dacre's inroad, were again re-
duced to ashes. Two years later, an inroad was
made by Bowes and Laiton, and in 1545, the Earl of
Hertford attacked the abbey. Three hundred men
retired into it, and made an obstinate resistance, but
were forced to yield, and were nearly all slain or
taken prisoners. Next year, the abbey was defended
by thirty footmen against Eurie, but taken. In the
report of Eurie to the English king, two " bastille
houses" are referred to as being in the town. In
June following, when the garrison of Wark made an
incursion into the town, the church was defended by
sixteen men, who had builded them a strength in
the old walls of the steeple. The abbey afforded a
shelter to a few monks till 1560, when they were
expelled by the fanatical mob, the images broken,
and all its internal furniture and decorations de-
stroyed. In 1558, Mary of Lorraine gave the com-
mendatorship of Kelso and Melrose to her brother
the Duke of Guise, on the abbot being slain by his
own relation, one of the Kers of Cessford. Sir
John Maitland was temporarily commendator.
Bothwell next got the abbey in trust, by ex-
changing Coldingham for Kelso with Maitland. On
the 9th of November, Queen Mary arrived at Kelso
from Jedburgh. Next day she held a council, and
78 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
on the 11th left with the design of viewing Berwick,
attended by her court and about 1000 horsemen,
belonging to the border shires. She travelled by
Langton and Wedderburn, and on the 15th looked
upon Berwick from Halidon-hill* On the 6th of
April, 1569, a remarkable bond was agreed to and
subscribed at Kelso by the inhabitants of the sheriff-
doms of Berwick, Koxburgh, Selkirk, and Peebles, and
provosts and baillies of burghs and towns within the
bounds, whereby the parties bound and obliged
themselves to the king's majesty and his dear cousin
James, Earl of Murray, Lord Abernethie, regent, to
concur together to resist the rebellious people of the
country of Liddesdale, and other thieves inhabiting
Ewisdale, Anandale, and especially persons of the
surnames of "Armestrong, Eliot, Niksoun, Croser,
Littell, Batesoun, Thomsoun, Irwing, Bell, Johnnes-
toun, Glendonyng, Routlaige, Hendersoun, and
Scottis, of Ewisdaill," and other notorious thieves,
wherever they dwell, and their wives, bairns, tenants,
and servants, that none of them would at any time
thereafter reset, supply, or intercommune with any
of the said thieves, their wives, bairns, or servants,
or give them meat, drink, house, or harbour, or
suffer any meat, drink, or victuals, to be brought,
had, or carried to them, forth or through the lands,
baillieries, towns, and bounds, where they could
* Life of the Scottish Queen, vol. i. p. 193.
79
hinder; nor should they tryst or have intelligence
with them in private or apart, without knowledge or
leave of the warden obtained to that effect : or suffer
them to resort to markets or trysts through the
bounds : nor permit them, their wives, bairns,
tenants, or servants, to dwell, remain, or abide, or
to pasture their flocks of sheep or cattle upon any
lands outwith Liddesdale, except such as within
eight days of the date of the bond found responsible
sureties to the wardens of the marches and their
clerks, that they would reform all enormities com-
mitted by them in time bypast, and keep good rule
in time coming, and be obedient to the laws when
called upon : All others not finding the said se-
curity within the said space were to be pursued to
the death with fire and sword, and all other kind of
hostility, and exposed in prey and all things in their
possession to the men of war, as open and known
enemies to God, the king, and the common good,
without favour, assurance, or friendship : all kind-
ness, bonds, promises, assurances, and conditions
that had been entered into with any of them in time
bygone, before the date of the bond, were to be re-
nounced, as the subscribers should answer to God,
and on their duty and allegiance to the king and
regent. In case any of the parties to the bond failed
in any part of the premises, or revealed not the con-
traveners thereof, if known, they were to be punished
in terms of the general bond and pains contained
80 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
therein. As also, in case — in the resistance or pur-
suit of any of the said thieves — it should happen
that any of them be slain and burnt, they should
ever esteem the quarrel and deadly feud equal to all,
and should never agree with the said thieves, but
with one consent and advice. In the meantime, the
subscribers bound themselves to take a sincere and
true part ilk ane with the other, and specially should
assist the laird of Buccleuch and other lairds nearest
to the said thieves. There are three columns of
signatures to the bond. The first contains the names
of " Sir Nicholas Rutherfurd of Hundoley, knyt. ;
Jhone Rutherfurd of Hunthill; John Mow of yt Ilk;
Richard Rutherford, provost of Jedbur1; James
Scott, baillie of Selkirk ; James Gledstanes of Cok-
law; Wat Scot, in Bellhauch; Wat Scot of Tusche-
law; Hector Turnbull, tutor of Mynto; Cuthbert
Cranstoun of Thirlestan Manis; Robert Scot, baillie
of Hawyke." The second column — "Andrew Ker;
Gilbert Ker of Prinsydeloch ; John Edmonstoune of
yat Ilk, Knyt; William Douglas of Cavers; Jhone
Haldane ; Thomas Turnbull of Bederowll ; Richard
Rutherford of Edgerstone; Alexander Cokburn;
Robert Scot of Edilstane; Thomas Makdowell/'
The signatures on the two first columns are auto-
graphs, but the third column is all written in the
same hand — " Alexr L. Home ; Walter Ker of Cess-
ford ; Bukclewch, Knyt ; Thomas Ker of Eernhirst ;
William Ker; Patrick Murray of Eaulahill; Walter
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 81
Ker of Dolphinstone ; Andro x X X ; Andro Ker
of Fa x X X ; T. Cranstoune of yt Ilk ; Thomas
Ker of Nether Howdane.*
This bond certainly discloses a sad state of
Roxburghshire in the beginning of the reign of
James VI. Without the aid of the powerful barons,
the king and his lieutenants could do little to
maintain rule on the Borders, as the clans, by means
of their signal-fires, could gather the country in an
incredibly short space, rendering success on the part
of the royal troops impossible. The king had often
to resort to stratagem to secure the persons of some
of the leading clans before entering on an expedi-
tion to the Border land, to enforce the law among
his unruly subjects. By means of such bonds, the
clans were kept in some degree of control, although
the numerous entries in the criminal records show
that the obligations in the bonds were seldom
faithfully implemented. In 1569, the Regent
Murray obtained from the boy Francis Steuart, his
nephew, and William Lumisden, the rector of Cleish,
his administrator, a grant to him and his heirs, in
fee-firm, of the whole estates of the abbey of Kelso,
comprehending the town of Kelso, and many lands,
mills, fishings, and other property in the four shires of
* The original of this document is deposited in the General
Register House, but a copy of it is given in Pitcairn's Trials,
vol. iii. pp. 394 396.
VOL. III. G
82 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Roxburgh, Berwick, Dumfries and Peebles, which
was confirmed by a charter under the Great Seal,
on the 10th December following.* In October, 1585;
the Earls of Angus and Marr, the Master of Glammis,
and others their associates, banished to England, came
to Kelso, and were received at Floors, the laird of
Cessford's house, "f Here they were joined by
Bothwell and Home, the lairds of Cessford and
Coldingknowes, and many of the barons of Teviot-
dale and Merse. The inhabitants of Kelso seem to
have assisted Bothwell, for in May, 1593, they, with
the exception of William Lauder, came in his
Majesty's will for the treasonable reset of the Earl,
and found security that they would satisfy his
Majesty in " siluer" provided the sum did not
exceed 2000 merks. The king's will was, that he
freely pardoned the "haill inhabitants" and their
posterity, but ordained the town to make payment
to the treasurer of 1700 merks money, and to find
caution, acted in the books of Secret Council, that
they should not intercommune with Bothwell, or his
accomplices, in time coming, under a penalty of two
thousand pounds.^ On Bothwell being attainted
in 1592, the abbey of Kelso and the priory of Cold-
ingham were annexed to the Crown. The whole
property of the abbey was ,then conferred on Sir
* Privy Seal, Reg. xxxviii. 106.
+ Meuioires of Scotland, p. 101.
£ Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. pp. 291-2.
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 83
Robert Ker of Cessford, a great favourite at court,
and who had, in 1590, been created a peer, with the
title of Lord Roxburghe. Twenty of the churches
and advowsons thereof were surrendered to the
king in 1639. These estates are now enjoyed by
the Duke of Roxburghe. In the spring of 1645,
Kelso was almost wholly consumed by an accidental
fire, by which the inhabitants were reduced to such
a state of distress as to render it necessary for the
neighbourhood to furnish supplies of victuals for
their support, which was done with a liberal hand.
In the months of April and May, 227 bolls of corn
were sent, " to relieve the honest and poor distressed
householders in Kelso." Of this supply, Teviotdale
sent 184 bolls, the Merse 45 bolls; to the supplies
of corn were added 34 horse-loads of bread, 43
hogsheads of ale, six loads of salt-herrings, eight
stones butter, money i?414 Scots. No apology, it
is thought, is needed for giving the names of the
chief contributors. The first name on the list is
that of Robert Pringle of Stitchel, who gave 11
bolls of oatmeal ; Lady Linton, 1 boll 2 firlots ; next
follow the names but not the donations of Sir
William Scott of Mertoun ; John Ker of Hadden ;
Sir William Douglas of Cavers ; the laird of Hunt-
hill ; the laird of Gateshaw ; the laird of Fairning-
ton ; Mr James Mather ; Sir James Ker of Gateside ;
Sir Walter Riddell ; Earl of Lothian ; town of
Jedburgh; George Pringle of Craigs, Carchester;
8 1 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Sir William Ker of Cavers ; the laird of Greenhead ;
Sir Andrew Ker of Primside; the four Bells of
Plenderleath ; Sir William Elliot of Stobs ; town of
Dunse; John Hume of Ninewells; the laird of Tofts;
John Hume of Crumstains; laird of Wedderburn.*
This fire seems to have dwelt long in the memories
of the inhabitants, as occasional entries in the court-
books show. In November, 1723, the baillie issued
the following prohibition : — " These are to advertise
all the inhabitants who are concerned in making
malt, or carrying on their affairs in malt-kilns, that
they no way presume to kindle fires after gloamin,
or under night at any time, nor in the day-time,
when the wind blows high, under pain of being
summarily imprisoned."
In September, 1645, Montrose was at Kelso, on the
invitations of the Earls Koxburghe and Home, but
when he had arrived within about twelve miles
of them, they surrendered their houses and them-
selves to General Leslie, who, on hearing of the
battle of Kilsythe, left the Scottish army before
Hereford, and, at the head of 5000 men, marched
northward by Berwick and Tranent, with the view of
intercepting Montrose at the passages of the Forth ;
but on arriving at Tranent, he got information that
the Royalist troops were in the forest of Selkirk, on
* From a paper deposited in the museum of Kelso,
extracted by Mr John Steuart, surgeon, from the original in
the charter-chest of the Duke of Koxburghe.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 85
which he turned southward, and marched to Melrose
by the river Gala. In the meantime, Montrose,
although obliged to dismiss his Highlanders, and,
deserted by those who had promised him assistance,
resolved to pursue Leslie, and prevent him from
gathering additional forces. On the 12th, the
Royalist general left Kelso, and marched to Selkirk
forest, in which he encamped his infantry, between the
Ettrick and Yarrow, close to the junction of these
rivers, the cavalry and himself taking up their
quarters in Selkirk. Next morning the camp was
surprised by the Covenanting general, and after a
desperate struggle, the Royalist troops were routed
with great slaughter.
In 1715, the Scottish rebels met those from
Northumberland and Nithsdale at Kelso. The
Highlanders were met by the Scots' horse at Ednam
Bridge, and conducted into the town, in compliment
to the bravery displayed by them in passing the
Eirth. Next day Mr Paton preached in the abbey
church to the soldiers, from Deut. xxi. 17, " The
right of the first-born is his." A great number
attended. In the afternoon a sermon was preached
by a Mr William Irving, full of exhortations to his
hearers to be zealous and steady in the course in
which they were engaged. On the Monday the
troops were drawn up in the market-place, while the
proclamation was read, and a manifesto of the Earl
of Marr, on which all the people assembled and
86 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
shouted "No union; no malt-tax; no salt-tax"
The Highland army remained in Kelso till the
Thursday following, during which time they drew
the public revenues, excise customs, and taxes.
While at Kelso, word was brought that General
Carpenter had arrived at Wooler, intending to give
them battle at Kelso next day. A council of war
was held, at which the Earl of Winton urged the
council to march to the west of Scotland, but the
English leaders prevailed, and the army set out for
England by way of Roxburgh. In 1718, the com-
missioners of Oyer and Terminer sat at Kelso, to
inquire into the treasons committed in 1715.
Lawyers were sent from London to assist on an
occasion so new in Scotland as trials for high
treason, but all the artifices of the judges and
lawyers could not overcome the firmness of the
grand-jurors, and the presentments were negatived.
On 4th November, 1745, Prince Charles arrived at
Kelso, with a division of his army, consisting of
4000 foot and 1000 horse, and on the 6th he left
the town and marched for Jedburgh.
Several persons have borne the surname of Kelso.
Richard of Kelso is mentioned in a charter of Robert
I. to Fergus of Ardrossan * Thomas of Kelso was,
in 1365, admitted to the peace of Edward III., and
license granted to him to dwell in any part of
* Reg. Mag. Sig. p. 10, No. 51.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 87
England.* Allan of Kelso, and several other
merchants, got a safe-conduct in 1367 to go to
England and trade.f
Flowris.J Floors.§ Fleurs.|| The palace of
the Duke of Roxburghe occupies a lovely situation on
the left bank of the river Tweed. The view, though
limited, is beautiful, taking in the ruins of Roxburgh
Castle, part of Teviot's fair vale, and all the lovely
scenery where Tweed and Teviot meet. Sir Walter
Scott, in writing of this locality, says that " the
modern mansion of Fleurs, with its terrace, its
woods, and its extensive lawn, forms altogether a
kingdom for Oberon or Titania to dwell in, or any
spirit who, before their time, might love scenery, of
which the majesty, and even the beauty, impress the
mind with a sense of awe, mingled with pleasure, "^f
The palace was built in 1718, upon the site of an
older house, greatly enlarged and beautified by the
present possessor of the rich domain. The earliest
notice of the house under the name of " Flowris "
that I have met with is in 1 545, but it must have
existed long before that time, and occupied by the
monks of Kelso or some of their kindly tenants. A
plan of the locality in 1739 shows three islets, com-
* Rotuli Scotiee, vol. i. p. 894. t lb. p. 919.
% Circa, 1545. § lb- 1585. || lb. 1772.
IT Demonology, p. 119.
88 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
prehending a considerable space, formed by the
Tweed, in front of the palace. In Stobie's map of
the county, executed in 1772, only one of these
appear, about half-a-mile in length. Near the lower
end of that anna is the site of a cross called the Fair-
cross, and which gave a name to these islets. This
Fair-cross is near the spot where, according to tra-
dition, King James was killed while besieging Rox-
burgh Castle in 1460. The writer of the old
statistical account of the parish of Kelso, while
treating of this locality, remarks,* " A holly-tree is
said to stand on the spot where this happened,
a little below Fleurs House. Near this tree stood a
large village, which, from a cross that remained
within these few years, was generally called the Fair-
cross. But the probable origin of the name, as it
has been handed down, though not generally known,
is this : — James II. 's Queen having very soon reached
the spot where the lifeless body of her husband lay,
is reported to have exclaimed, " There lies the fair
corse; " whereupon it received the name of the fair
corpse or corse, and in process of time the change
from corse to cross was easily effected/' I doubt this
derivation of the name of Fair-cross, and am inclined
to think that the cross owes its origin to the erection
of Broxfield into a barony, with right of market
cross, in 1642. The name may receive further illus-
* Vol. x. p. 582. Article written by the late Dr Douglas.
ROXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 89
tration from the fact, that about this time the people
of Kelso were anxious to have James' Fair held on
the north side of the water, and many attempts were
made to hold the fair at this place. The records of
Jedburgh contain many acts ordering the burgesses
to attend the fair of St. James in force, to support
the authority of the magistrates, and to bring the
bestial from the north to the south side of the river.
Occasionally the flooded state of the river prevented
persons and cattle passing to the south side, and the
fair or market was held at Fair-cross, opposite to St.
James' Fair-stead. In 1713, the fair, owing to the
flood, was held for two days — Saturday and Monday
— on the north side of the river, at this cross.* It
may safely be inferred that Fair-cross derived its
name from being the place where the market or fair
was held, in the same way as the haugh on the south
side of the river gets the name of Fair-green at the
present day.
The woods around Fleurs are extensive and valu-
able. A considerable portion of the wood, however,
is not older than the end of the seventeenth century.
In 1717, the baillie of the regality passed an act
forbidding " the plucking of the haws from the
thorns that defended the young plantations at
Fleurs." On the forfeiture of Bothwell, his estates
were divided among Buccleuch, Home, and Sir
* Burgh Court-Books.
90 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Robert Ker of Cessford. Buccleuch got Crichton
and Liddesdale; Home, Coldingham; and Cessford,
the abbey of Kelso, with its lands and possessions.
Sir Robert was distinguished for talent and courage,
and while warden of the marches, did good service
to his country.
The peerage writers say that John Ker, of the
forest of Selkirk, who lived about 1358, was the
founder of the house of Cessford and Roxburgh;
that Henry, his son, was living about three years
after; and Robert, supposed to be the son of Henry,
got a charter of the lands of Auldtonburn, from
Archibald, the fourth Earl of Douglas. Chalmers
is of opinion that Andrew Ker of Altonburn, who
married a daughter of Sir W. Douglas, the heritable
sheriff of Teviotdale, was the founder, and died
before 1450. It seems to me that these views are
not well founded. Before 1385, John Ker was the
owner of Altonburn and Nisbet in Teviotdale; at
that date these lands were granted by Richard IT. of
England to John Boraille.* It is probable that the
Andrew Ker alluded to by Chalmers was the grand-
son of John Ker of Altonburn and Nisbet, and son
of the first owner of Cessford ; but he is wrong in
supposing that the Andrew Ker who married the
sheriff's daughter died before 1450. It was his
father who obtained a confirmatory charter from the
* Eotuli Scotise, vol. ii. p. 75.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 91
Earl of Douglas of the lands of Cessford, which for-
merly belonged to the families of Oliphant and Cock-
burn. In 1451, James II. granted Andrew Ker of
Altonburn "all and each his lands of the barony
of Auldroxburgh, with pertinents/' for payment of
one silver penny at Whitsunday, in name of blench
farme, if demanded. * It was this Andrew who
accompanied Douglas to Home in 1451. In 1474,
during the minority of James III., Andrew Ker of
Cessford resigned to him the baronies of Auld
Koxburgh and Cessford, on which a charter was
granted by Lord James Hamilton of the same to
Walter Ker, his son and heir, under reservation of
the terce for life of Margaret Tweedy, his wife. In
1478, Walter Ker appears as proprietor of Caver-
ton.-f On the king attaining his majority, the same
lands were again resigned to him by the same
Walter Ker, in 1481, to whom he again granted
them, with the remainder, in succession, to his
brothers Thomas, William, and Ralphe, and the true
and lawful heirs whomsoever of the said Andrew
Ker. In 1488, James IV. granted to Walter Ker
the place and messuage of Roxburgh, with per-
tinents, castle, and the patronage of the Maisondieu,
for payment of a red rose at the castle, at the Feast
of John the Baptist.^ In 1500, the grant was con-
firmed.
* Keg. Mag. Sig., Lib. iv. No. 3. t Acta Dom. Con. p. 69.
X Reg. Mag. Sig., Lib. xii. No. 16.
92 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
In 1509 the demesne lands of Auld Roxburgh,
with mill, mount, and Castlestead, and the town and
lands of Auld Roxburgh, were resigned by Andrew
Ker, the son of Walter Ker, into the hands of James
IV., who granted them anew to him and his wife,
Agnes Crichton, for the usual services. Andrew
Ker was one of the border barons who bound them-
selves to assist the Earl of Angus against the Liddes-
dale men, and others dwelling within the bounds of
Teviotdale and Ettrick forest, in putting them out of
the same.* In 1526, while James V. was returning
from Jedburgh, accompanied by Angus, with a body
of his kindred, they were attacked by Buccleuch
with 1000 men, but the result was in favour of
Angus. Cessford pursuing too eagerly, was slain
by a domestic of Buccleuch, which produced a deadly
feud between the families of Ker and Scott, which
raged for many years upon the Borders. To recon-
cile this quarrel, an agreement was entered into at
Ancrum, in March, 1529, between the clans of Scot
and Ker, whereby each clan was to forgive the other,
but it was stipulated that Sir Walter Scott of
Branxholm should go to the four head pilgrimages
of Scotland, and say a mass for the souls of the
deceased Andrew of Cessford, and those who were
slain in his company, and cause a chaplain to say a
mass daily, wherever Sir Walter Ker and his friends
* Pitcairn, vol. i. pp. 126-7-9.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 93
pleased, for the space of five years ; Ker of Dolphin-
ston, and Ker of Gradon should also go to the four
head pilgrimages, and make a mass to be said for the
souls of the Scots and their friends who were slain
on the same field, and get a chaplain to say a mass
daily for three years, at any place Sir Walter Scott
might fix upon ; that the son and heir of Branx-
holm was to marry one of the sisters of Ker of
Cessford, and the marriage portion to be paid by Sir
Walter Scott at the sight of friends ; any difference
that might arise in future between the clans was to
be settled by six arbiters. But this agreement,
which both parties bound and obliged " ilk ane to
others be the faith and troth of their bodies, but
fraud or guile, under the pain of perjury, man-
swearing, defalcation, and breaking of the bond of
deadly," seems to have been of brief endurance.
In 1535, Buccleuch was imprisoned for levying war
against the Kers, but in 1542 his estates were
restored by Parliament. In 1552, Sir Walter Scott
was slain by Ker of Cessford in the streets of Edin-
burgh. With the view of stanching this feud, a
contract was entered into in 1564 between Sir
Walter Scott of Branxholm, with the consent of his
curators, and Sir Walter Ker of Cessford. In that
curious document, Sir Walter Ker takes burden
upon him for his children, and for his brother Mark
of Newbattle, and his children ; Hume of Cowden-
knowes, and his children ; Andrew Ker of Faldon-
91 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
side, and his children and brother ; Ker of Messing-
ton, his father's brother and their children ; Ker of
Linton, and his children and grand-children, and
brother's bairns ; Richard Ker of Gateshaw, his
children and brother ; Andrew, William, and John
Ker, brothers, of Fernieherst ; Ker of Kippeshaw,
and his son Robert Ker of Both town ; Robert Ker,
burgess of Edinburgh, and all their children ; brother
kyn, Mends, men, tenants, and servants. * And Sir
Walter Scott of Branxholm and Buccleuch, with
consent of his curators, took burden upon him for
his haill surname, and the relict and bairns of the
deceased Sir Walter Scott, his grandfather, and also
for Cranstoun of that Ilk;-f- the laird of Chisholme,
Gladstones of that Ilk ; Langlands of that Ilk ; Veitch
of Sinton, and Ormstone of that Ilk. On the one
* Sir Thomas Ker of Fernieherst ; Sir Andrew Ker of
Hirsel ; Kobert Ker of Woodhead ; John Haldane of that
Ilk ; Gilbert Ker of Primisideloch ; James Ker of Tarbet ;
Robert Ker of Gradene and Andrew Ker, and their children,
servants, and all others, were excluded from this bond, in
consequence of their having refused to join in the contract
when asked by the laird of Cessford, brother-in-law of
Fernieherst.
t Celebrated in the " Lay of the Last Minstrel" as "Margaret
of Branksome's Choice," and the substitute of William of
Delorain in the duel with dark Musgrave. The minstrel
celebrates the marriage at Branksome Castle in presence of
the wardens on each side of the Border; but Wood and
Crauford give " Teviot's Flower" to Sir John Johnstone of that
Ilk.
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 95
part, the laird of Buccleuch bound himself and all
his clan not to pursue the laird of Cessford, or any-
other person for whom he was bound criminally or
civilly, for any slaughter or blood committed in time
past, nor bear hatred, grudge, or displeasure there-
fore, but bury and put the same under perpetual
silence and oblivion, and to live in perfect amity and
Christian neighbourhood in time coming. And on
the other part, the laird of Cessford became bound
that neither he nor any one for whom he took
burden should in any way pursue the laird of
Buccleuch, or any of his surname, or others for
whom he was bound criminally or civilly. And
for the better removing of all feud and enmity
between the parties through the unhappy slaughter
of Sir "Walter Scott, it was agreed that Sir Walter
Ker should, upon the 23rd day of March instant, go
to the parish kirk of Edinburgh, and there, before
noon in the sight of the people, reverently and
upon his knees ask God's mercy for the slaughter,
and forgiveness of the same from the laird of
Buccleuch and his friends, promising, in the name
and fear of God, that he and his friends would truly
keep their part of the contract, which being done,
Buccleuch should reverently accept, and receive, and
promise, in the fear of God, to remit his grudge,
and never remember the same. It was farther
agreed that Thomas Ker, the second son of Cess-
ford, was to marry a sister of the laird of Buccleuch,
96 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
between the date of the contract and the last day of
May next, without any tocher to be paid by her
brother and her friends, the laird of Cessford being
bound to provide them an honest and reasonable
living, effeiring to their condition ; and also to infeft
her in her virginity, in conjunct fee and liferent
with her future spouse, and their heirs, in lands or
annual-rent of the amount of one hundred merks
yearly;* that George Ker, the eldest son of Ker of
Faldonside, should marry Janet Scott, the aunt of
the laird of Buccleuch, as soon as he became of per-
fect age, without tocher; and in the event of George
dying, the next son was to marry her, and so long as
there were sons of Ker to marry; in the event of Janet
Scott dying before the marriage, George Ker was to
marry the next sister, so on as long as Ker had a
son, and Janet a sister, to marry. The bond next
provided for the settlement of any dispute that might
arise between the parties by arbitration, and failing
their agreeing upon a proper person, the Queen
and Council were to appoint an oversman. The
contract was subscribed by " Janet Betoune," relict
of the deceased Sir Walter Scott, with her own hand,
" in signe of hir consent to the premisses," and in
manner following : " Walter Ker of Cessford, Walter
* It seems that this arrangement did not take place, as
Janet the eldest sister married Sir Thomas Ker of Fernie-
herst five years afterwards ; she was the mother of the too
celebrated Viscount Rochester.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 97
Scott of Bukleuch, Janet Betoune, Lady of Buk-
cleuch •* James ; Thomas Scott of Hanyng ; Mr
Johne Spens, curator, above written ; Johne Max-
well ; J. Bellendine, as curator ; Robert Scot of
Thirlestane, with my hand at the pen led by David
Laute, notarie publict."-f-
At the same time, the king granted a remission
under seal to Sir Walter Ker, for his share in the
slaughter of the Knight of Branxholm. In 1574,
James VI., with consent of Eegent Morton, granted
the lands and barony of Auld Roxburghe, with their
pertinents, to Robert Ker, the son and apparent heir
of William Ker, younger of Cessford, with remainder
in succession to his heirs; to the heirs male of
William Ker; to the heirs of Sir Walter Ker of
Cessford ; to Mark Ker, the commendator of New-
battle, brother of Sir Walter Ker, and his heirs ; to
Andrew Ker of Faldonside and his heirs ; to Thomas
Ker of Mersington and his heirs ; to George Ker of
Linton and his heirs; to Ker of Gateshaw and his
heirs; to the heirs male whomsoever of the said
William Ker, younger of Cessford, bearing the name
* This lady was a daughter of Beatoun of Creich, and
possessed so much ability that the country people attributed
her knowledge to magic. She has been rendered immortal
by Sir Walter Scott in the " Lay of the Last Minstrel." She
rode at the head of the clan after the murder of her husband.
t This gentleman was the ancestor of Lord Napier. Few
even among the great men were at that period good clerks..
VOL. III. H
98 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
of Ker and the Cessford arms, reserving the freehold
and liferent to Sir Walter Ker, and the terce to
Isabel his wife, and after their death, the same to
William Ker and his wife Janet Douglas* On the
death of Sir Walter Ker, William, his son, succeed-
ed. For many years he was warden of the middle
marches. His son Robert, afterwards the first Earl
of Roxburghe, was one of the most noted spirits on
the Border. He acted as depute-warden of the
middle marches during the life of his father. While
differences existed between the two houses of Cess-
ford and Fernieherst, Sir Robert was guilty of the
slaughter of William Ker of Ancrum, one of the
clan of the latter family. It is said by Spottis-
woode,-|- that the young chief was instigated to the
murder by his mother, for which he obtained a
remission the following year. Having met Both-
well near Humbie in Haddingtonshire, the two
engaged in single combat for two hours, and parted
from pure fatigue, without either having sustained
any serious injury. One of the Rutherfurds accom-
panied Cessford, and was wounded in the cheek by
Bothwell's attendant. Of Ker, Sir Robert Carey,
who was deputy warden of the east marches, says,
* Reg. Mag. Sig. lib. xxxiv. No. 67. Sir Walter was mar-
ried to Isabel, daughter of Ker of Fernieherst, and William,
his son, to Janet Douglas, daughter of Sir William Douglas
of Drumlanrig, and widow of Tweedie of Drumelzier.
+ Page 383.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 99
that he was opposite warden, and a brave, active
officer. By the laws of the Border, it was provided
that the wardens of each kingdom should deliver up
offenders till satisfaction was made, and the warden
failing to do so, was bound to deliver himself up to
the opposite warden, and be detained till the judg-
ment of the commissioners of the Border was
obeyed. The Lord of Buccleuch and Sir Kobert
Ker having failed to deliver offenders on the day
fixed, were complained of, on which Buccleuch
entered himself prisoner to Sir William Selby,
master of the ordnance in Berwick, and the Lord
Home, by the king's command, delivered up Cess-
ford a prisoner at Berwick, who was at his own
request placed under the charge of Sir Robert Carey,
who says, in his Memoirs, " I lodged him as well as
I could, and tooke order for his diet and men to
attend on him, and sent him word that (although
by his harsh carriage toward me ever since I had
that charge, he could not expect any favour yet)
hearing so much goodness of him that he never
broke his worde, if he should give me his hand and
credit to be a true prisoner, he would have no guard
sett upon him, but have free liberty for his friends
in Scotland to have ingresse and rearesse to him as
oft as he pleased. He took this very kindly at my
hands, accepted of my offer, and sent me thankes.
Some four days passed: all which time his friends
came in to him and hee kept his chamber. Then he
1 00 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
sent to mee and desired mee I would come and
speak with him, which I did, and after long dis-
course, charging and recharging one another with
wrongs and injuries, at last, before our parting, wee
became good friends, and great protestation on his
side never to give mee occasion of unkindness
again. After our reconciliation, he kept his chamber
no longer, but dined and supped with me. I took
him abroad with mee at least thrice a-week a-hunt-
ing, and every day we got better friends. Buc-
cleuch in a few days after had his pledges delivered,
and was sett at liberty. But Sir Bobert Ker could
not get his, so that I was commanded to carry him to
York, and there to deliver him to the Archbishop,
which I accordingly did. At our parting, he pro-
fessed great love unto me for the kind usage I had
shown him, and that I would find the effects of it
upon his delivery, which he hoped would be shortly.
After his return home, I found him as good as his
word. We met oft at days of truce, and I had as
good justice as I could desire, and so we continued
very kind and good friends all the time I staid in
that march." The Archbishop of York says he
" found him wise and valiant, but somewhat
haughty and resolute." On the 29th December,
15.99, six days after the baptism of the infant
Prince Charles, the king created Sir Robert Earl of
Roxburghe * In 1601 he was appointed a commis-
* Balfour's Annals, vol. i. p. 409.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 101
sioner of Justiciary " for the torture, trial, and exe-
cution of Mr Peter Nairne," charged with having
conspired the murder of several Englishmen whom
he had induced to enter Scotland on the pretence
that he would obtain them employment from the
king, and when he got them to Kelso, attempted to
murder them.* In 1606 he was made Baron Ker
of Cessford and Caverton, and Earl of Roxburgke.
He was privy seal in the reign of Charles I. He
married, first, Mary, daughter of Sir William Main-
land, by whom he had a son, William, who died in
infancy, and three daughters. He next married
Jane, daughter of Lord Drummond, by whom he
had an only son, Harry, Lord Ker, who predeceased
himself, leaving four daughters. The earl, seeing
that by the death of his son his honours would die
with himself, obtained a power to institute a new
series- of heirs to his titles and estates. On the 17th
July, 1643, he resigned his dignities and estates into
the hands of the king, for the purpose of obtaining
a new grant thereof, to himself and the heirs male
of his body, and whom failing, to his heirs and
assignees, to be nominated and constituted by him
during his lifetime by any writing under his hand.
Next year he executed a deed of nomination, by
which he called to the succession several near rela-
tions, on the condition that they should marry one
of his grand-daughters, the children of Harry, Lord
* Pitcairn, vol. ii. p. 351-2.
102 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Ker ; but this nomination being considered ineffec-
tual, he obtained a new charter from the crown,
under which he was infeft, and in 1648 executed a
new destination of his dignities and estates. Fail-
ing heirs male of his own body, he nominated Sir
William Drummond, fourth son of his daughter
Jean, Countess of Perth, and the second son of his
grand-daughter Jean, Countess of Wigton, in their
order, all of whom, and the heirs male lawfully
begotten of their bodies, with their spouses, he con-
stituted heirs of tailzie and successors to his titles
and estates, under certain restrictions. One of these
was the appointment of his heir to marry one of the
grand-daughters, offering himself first to the eldest,
and so on, and to bear the arms and name of Ker.
In the event of the above appointment failing by
death, or the not observing the said restrictions and
conditions, the right of the said estate was to per-
tain and belong to the eldest daughter of the said
deceased Harry, Lord Ker, without division, and the
heirs male — she always marrying or being married
to a gentleman of honour, who would obey the con-
ditions of the deed: which all failing, to their heirs
male, and the nearest heir male of the Earl of Rox-
burghe. This entail was ratified by Parliament.
At the death of Earl Robert in 1650, Sir William
Drummond succeeded under the entail, and married
Lady Jean, the eldest daughter of Harry, Lord Ker.
The earl was distinguished for military genius in
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 103
Holland; but joining the Royalists, was fined i?6000
by Cromwell. His son Robert was the third earl,
and was lost in the Gloucester frigate, in the Yar-
mouth Roads, in 1682. His son Robert dying un-
married, his younger brother, John, succeeded to
the earldom, and for his services in bringing about
the union between Scotland and England, was
created Duke of Roxburghe in 1707. He was privy
seal in Scotland in 1714, and secretary of state in
1716, but lost office in 1725, in consequence of
opposing Sir Robert Walpole. He died at Eleurs
in 1741. Robert, his son and successor, died in
1755, and was succeeded by John, his son and heir,
who was a great book-collector. He rose high in
the favour of George III. He died, unmarried, in
March, 1804. It is said that his not marrying was
caused by an attachment that " had been formed
between his Grace, when on his travels, and Chris-
tina Sophia Albertina, eldest daughter of the Duke of
Mecklenburgh Strelitz, and that their nuptials would
have taken place, had not her sister, the Princess
Charlotte, just at that time been espoused to King
George III. Etiquette then interfered, it being
deemed not proper that the elder should be a sub-
ject of the younger sister ; but both parties evinced
the strength of their attachment by devoting their
after-lives to celibacy/'* He was succeeded by
* Sharpe's Peerage, vol. iii., and papers of the day.
104 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Lord Bellendean, descended from William, second
son of William Ker of Cessford, and brother of
Robert, first Earl of Roxburghe. On the 18th of
June, 1804, Duke William executed a trust dispo-
sition in favour of Henry Gawler and John Seton
Kerr, of the estate of Roxburghe, for the purpose of
paying certain legacies. He also executed a deed of
entail in favour of himself and the heirs of his body :
whom failing, to John Gawler and certain other
heirs. In the same year he conveyed the lands of
Byrecleuch and others to the same trustees, and
granted sixteen feu dispositions, whereby the whole
estate, with the exception of the mansion-house of
Floors, and a few acres of ground around it, was
disponed to John Gawler and his heirs and disponees,
for payment of certain feu duties. He died in
October, 1805, without issue, and in him failed all
the descendants of Sir William Druinmond.
Brigadier-General Walter Ker, of Littledean,
claimed to succeed as heir male general of Lady
Jean Ker, the eldest daughter of Harry, Lord Ker,
the son of the first Earl Robert, and also to Henry
Lord Ker.
Sir James Norcliffe Innes claimed, under the same
clause of the deed, as heir male of the body of Lady
Margaret, the third daughter of Harry, Lord Ker,
who married his great- grandfather, Sir James Innes,
in 1666, to the exclusion of General Ker, the trus-
tees, and Mr. Gawler. After a long litigation, it
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 105
was ultimately decided in May 11, 1812, that, as
Lady Margaret was the eldest daughter at the time
the succession opened, Sir James was entitled to be
preferred to the honours and estates.
The house of Innes owes its foundation to a Fle-
ming who settled in Scotland during the 12th century.
During the reigns of William Rufus and Henry I., the
Flemings migrated in great numbers to England,
and were settled in the waste lands of Northumber-
land and Cumberland, where their language may
still be traced in the names of places. In the civil
wars of Stephen, the Flemings aided as stipendiaries
in his armies ; but on Henry II. ascending the throne,
he banished them out of England. The Flemings
then repaired to Scotland, where they easily obtained
settlements ; and in the course of a few years they
were to be found in every town and hamlet in the
kingdom, carrying on trade in the country, cultivat-
ing the wastes, and raising villages on their farms ;
on the sea coast they settled as fishers. In the 1 3th
century, the trade of the country was nearly all in
their hands. Berwick was then governed by Adam
Flandrensis, and a body of that people defended the
Redhall of that place against the English in 1296,
till every man perished in the flames. Under David
I., a Fleming was Provost of St. Andrews, and in
Perth they appear as goldsmiths and saddlers.
Jordan, a Fleming, got a grant from David I. of lands
on the Tweed; and in 1141? witnessed a charter by
1 06 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the king to the monks of Kelso. It was this Jordan
who granted lands in the territory of Orde to the
same monks. This eminent man was taken prisoner
with William the Lion at the siege of Alnwick.
Amongst the earliest immigrants were many Flem-
ings, who had distinguished themselves in the armies
of England, and who were received by the King of
Scotland into his army, getting payment for their
services in land. In every district, from the Tweed
and Solway to the Clyde and Moray Frith, the
Flemings obtained settlements; and so powerful did
they become, that they obtained right to be governed
by their own laws.* When the Flemings settled
among the Celts of the district of Moray, and intro-
duced new customs and laws, the men of Moray
raised the standard of revolt in support of their
ancient principles and laws. But Malcolm IV.. with
the aid of his Flemish stipendiaries, put down the
revolt, after a violent struggle. At the suppression
of this revolt, a Flandrekin obtained from the king,
as a reward for his services, a grant of the lands
of Innes, which he afterwards adopted as his sur-
name, and transmitted to the successful claimant of
the dignities and estates of Koxburghe, and many
other respectable families descended from the same
stock. A number of remarkable men sprung from
* David II. granted a charter to John Marr, canon of
Aberdeen, for the lands of Cmterstoun, in the Gariach.
"Una cum lege Fleminga dicitur Fleming-Lauche."
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 107
Berowald, and filled high offices in both church and
state. In the end of the 14th century, George Innes
was a Cardinal and Primate of England. In 1406,
John was Bishop of Moray, and John, sprung from
the marriage of Sir Walter Innes with Lady Fraser
of Lovat, was Bishop of Caithness. Duncan Forbes,
the compiler of the pedigree in Douglas' Peerage,
says that " there" are three things wherein the family
are either notable or happy: first, that their inheri-
tance never went to a woman; second, that none of
them ever married an ill wife; and, thirdly, that no
friend ever suffered for their debt." Sir James Innes,
who succeeded as fifth Duke of Roxburghe, assumed
the name of Ker, and married, in 1807, Harriet,
daughter of Benjamin Charleswood, of Windlesham,
and died in July, 1823, aged eighty-seven, leaving
issue, the present duke, who was born in July, 1816,
being the thirtieth in descent from Berowaldus.
Ednaham; Edenham; Ednam. — This part of the
district is entitled to be mentioned next, on account
of its being one of the earliest settlements to be
found on record. It derives its name from the British
Eden, the gliding stream, and the Saxon ham, a
dwelling — Edenham, the dwelling on the Eden. In
one of the first of the genuine charters, there exists
a grant from King Edgar to Thorloiigus* i.e., Thor
* Thorlongus was a Saxon or Danish colonist from the
north of England. There was a Thor in Jed forest, and it is
108 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the Long — to distinguish him from other Thors — of
Ednaham, described in the grant as a desert which,
with the help of the king, he peopled, and built a
church in honour of Cuthbert, the Tweedside saint.
In the grant by Thorlongus, transferring this church
to the monks of Durham, Ednam is called a waste.
This curious document is still preserved in the
treasury of Durham, and is as follows: "To the
sons of Holy Mother Church, Thor the Long
greeting in the Lord: Know that Edgar, my lord
King of the Scots, gave me Ednaham, a waste ; that
with his help and my own means I peopled it, and
have built a church in honour of St. Cuthbert and
his monks, to be possessed by them evermore. This
gift I have made for the soul of my lord King Edgar,
and for the souls of his father and mother, and for
the weal of his brothers and sisters, and for the
redemption of my dearest brother Lefwin, and fof
the weal of myself, both my body and my soul.
And if any one by force or fraud presume to take
away this my gift from the Saint aforesaid, and the
monks his servants, may God Almighty take away
probable that he obtained a grant of the lands from Earl
Henry. Swan, his son, obtained the manor of Buthven and
other lands in Perthshire. It was his grandson Walter who
took the surname of Buthven, and who married a daughter
of the Earl of Strathern in the reign of Alexander II. Their
descendants became Earls of Gowrie in 1581. In 1297, Sir
William Ruthven was governor of Jedburgh.
ROXBUEGHSHIKE, ETC. 109
from him the life of the heavenly kingdom, and may
he suffer everlasting pains with the devil and his
angels. Amen* Although the locality is at the
present time a fruitful field, it does not require a
stretch of imagination to realize the picture drawn
of it by Thor the Long. It would not only be a
desert in his time, but a watery waste, extending
from the Eden westward, to Broxlaw near the
Tweed, as the names of places as well as the nature
of the ground evince. A number of high gravel
ridges are to be seen here, and are called comb-
knowes, and the flat land between them comb-flat.
These ridges have all been formed by water, and
there can be little doubt that the flat lands between
these combs were covered with water, and it is pro-
bable that the name of "combs" was imposed by the
Saxon followers of Thorlongus. David I. granted
to the monks of Coldingham a toft with houses in
Edenham. -f- The king had a large mill here, from
which he granted to the monks of Kelso, in 1 1 28,
twelve chalders of malt, with right to dig turf for
fuel in the moor of Edenham. King William gave
the monks the mill itself, and three carrucates of land
in the town, as Erkenbald the abbot of Dunfermline
had laid them out in terms of the king's writ, in
exchange for the grant of 20 chalders of meal and
* Smith's Bede, 763-4. North Durham Appendix, p. 38,
N. cxi.
t Chart of Coldingham, 3.
1 1 0 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
wheat which they had from the mills of Roxburgh,
and 40s. from the customs of the same, with power
to prevent the erection of any other mill in the
parish, and a right to the same services from the
inhabitants, which the latter were bound to yield to
the proprietors of the mill. Two-and-a-half of these
carrucates are described as lying on the north side
of the peatry of Ednam, reaching thence along the
boundary of the parishes to the southern bounds of
Newton, and thence to the river Eden, and along
the Eden to the bridge on the west side of Ednam,
thence to the road leading to the hospital at the
forking of the road which comes from the north side
of the peatry, and along the road to the place first
mentioned, with pasturage of a piece of ground
lying between the peatry and the bounds of Kelso;
the other half-carrucate lay on the east side of the
quarry belonging to the abbey, and on the side of
the road leading to Sprouston Ford.* The same
king granted the monks of Dryburgh two-and-a-
half merks yearly out of a carrucate of land in
Ednam.*)- During the 1 2th century, the church of
Edenham had two dependent chapels, one at Newton,
and the other at Nathansthorn. Before 1158,
Robert, Bishop of St. Andrews, confirmed the con-
nection between the mother church and the chapel
at Newton. J Before 1162, Bishop Arnold confirmed
* Lib. de Calchou. t Lib. of Dryburgh.
Chart, Coldiiigham, p. 41.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. Ill
both chapels to the church of Ednam. In 1221,
there was a charter granted in a full chapter of
the Merse at Ednam : " in pleno capitulo de Mersce
apud Edenham." There was also an hospital at
Edenham, dedicated to St. Leonard. In 1349,
Edward III. issued a writ for restoring the hospital
of St. Mary at Berwick and of Edenham to Robert
de Buston, who is said to have been a busy agent of
the English king on the Border.* The lands of
Edenham seem to have been the property of the
crown at the end of the war of independence. At
that time Robert I. granted, inter alia, the barony
of Edenham, which appears to have been co-extensive
with the parish, in marriage, with his daughter Mar-
jery. Robert the Stewart confirmed these lands,
with the churches and hospital, to Robert Erskine
and Christian his spouse, but on becoming king, he
granted to Sir Robert Erskine and his wife c£J100
sterling out of his firms in Aberdeen, in exchange
for the lands of Ednam and Nisbet. In 1333,
letters of protection were granted by Edward III. to
William of Edenham arid others. In 1335, the same
king gave the property in Berwick which formerly
belonged to Robert of Edenham, to Henry of Bam-
borough. In 1358, a safe-conduct was granted to
Fergus of Edenham, a merchant, to travel in Eng-
land.*)- The old family of Edmonstone possessed
* Rotuli Scotiae, voL L t lb. pp. 255, 384, 822.
112 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
this property for a long period. The first settlement
of the family was in Mid-Lothian, during the reign
of David I. Edmund is a witness to several
charters by that king. The estate of Edmunston in
Mid-Lothian went off at an early period with an
heiress, but the heirs male retained the barony
of Edenham. In 1593, Andrew Edmonstone of that
Ilk obtained from James VI. all and hail the lands
of Barningtoun, Barleis, and Berryloch, with their
pertinents, which formerly pertained in feu farm to
Francis, Earl Bothwell, and his sons, John and
Francis Stewart, held immediately from the abbey
of Kelso, and then in his Majesty's hands, by reason
of Both well's forfeiture.* The barony was in the
progress of time gradually diminished by partial
sales ; amongst others, Henderside and Newton-don
were slices from it. Still, a good estate remained
behind, but so burdened, that James Edmonstone,
the last laird, was obliged to dispose of it to James
Ramsay Cuthbert, about 65 years ago. It is now
the property of Lord Ward. With the reversion,
Edmonstone purchased the property of Corehouse,
on the Clyde, which he left to his sisters, the last of
whom was involved in many law-suits. George
Cranstoun was her counsel, to whom she ultimately
left her property, and when made a judge, he took
the title of Lord Corehouse. She died at the age of
* Acta Pari voL iv. p. 37.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 113
105, and on her death-bed, she charged Cranstoun
to see that she was laid in the graveyard of Ednam
by her own relations, of whom she gave him a list.
The ashes of the last of the race were laid in the
cemetery of Ednam, in accordance with her desire.
One of the lairds of Ednam married a princess of
Scotland, in memory of which they added the
tressnre to their arms. When James Dickson
became proprietor of part of Edenham, he enclosed
the lands, built a neat village, and attempted to
establish woollen manufactures for cloth, particularly
English blankets.* He built an extensive brewery,
which is still successfully carried on. In the garden
'of the brewery is a wych elm, which measures in
girth 23 feet; at the height of 10 feet, where the
first large branch springs, 10 feet; and at the height
of 25 feet, where the second large branch leaves the
trunk, 9 feet. It is about 60 feet high, and the
branches cover a space of 23 yards in circumference.
The trunk is sculptured with deep ridges like a cork-
tree, -f-
Edenham is said to be the birthplace of the father
of the famous Captain Cook. The tradition of the
family is, that the father of the captain was born
here, from which he went to Ayton, in Berwickshire,
* Old Statistical Account, vol. ii. p. 305.
t Johnstone's Natural History of the Eastern Borders,
vol. i. p. 177.
VOL. III. I
114 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and from that place to Martin Cleveland, in
England, where the great captain was born. In
confirmation of this tradition, the parish record
bears: "Dec. 24, 1692, John Cooke, in this parish,
and Jean Duncan e, in the parish of Smailhume, gave
up their names for proclamation in order to mar-
riage. A certificate produced of her good behaviour.
John Cooke and Jean Duncane were married, Jan.
19, 1693."— "] (594, John Cook had a son baptized,
called James, March the 4th day." The same
register also bears that John Cuke, the grandfather
of the captain, was an elder of the parish in 1692,
during the incumbency of Thomas Thomson, father
ot the poet of the Seasons.
It has generally been believed that James Thom-
son1 the poet, was born in the manse of Edenham,
on the 11th of September, 1700, about a month
before his father's translation to Southdean; and
although satisfied myself, that the poet was born at
Edenham, I think it right to notice, that there has
always existed a tradition on the Cayle water, that
the poet was born at a place called Wideopen, which
stood on the hill to the south of Lintonloch, the
property of his mother, Beatrix Trotter. It is said
that Mrs Thomson gave birth rather unexpectedly
to the poet, while on a visit to her mountain home ;
but if there be any truth in the tradition that
Wideopen was the place of the poet's birth, it is
probable that his mother had gone to that place for
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 115
the purpose of having the child on her own land, as
was customary in the time in which she lived, the
more especially as the family was about to leave
Edenham. The writer of the " Old Statistical Ac-
count" of the parish, published in the end of the
last century, states, that " a proposal was made, some
years before that time, to erect a monument to the
poet, but it had not been accomplished/' Several
noblemen and gentlemen, with a laudable zeal for
the literary fame of their country, were in the habit
of meeting annually at Edenham, to celebrate the
poet's birthday, as well as with the view of for-
warding the execution of that design. The design
was not carried out till 1820, when an obelisk, fifty-
two feet high, was raised to his memory, on a rising
ground on the estate of Henderside. The expense
of the erection was defrayed by the members of the
club, who held their last meeting in September,
1819.
William Dawson, the distinguished agriculturist,
was born at Harpertoun on this manor, and is said
to have introduced, in 1753, a regular system of
turnip husbandry in this part of Scotland, although
Dr. John Rutherford, Melrose, had begun the sowing
of turnips in the field in 1747. In Haddington-
shire, turnips had been sown in the fields in 1736.
Like every other place lying near the border, Eden-
ham had its full share of the miseries of war. In
July, J 544, the captain of Norham Castle, the Wark
1 1 G THE HISTOftY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
garrison, and Henry Eure, burnt the village, made
many prisoners, took a bastille house, strongly built,
aud got a booty of forty nolt and thirty horses,
besides those on which the prisoners were mounted,
each on a horse. In 1558, Edenham, with other
villages, was destroyed by the Earl of Northumber-
land.
Hendeeside. — This estate lies between Ednam,
on the north, and the Tweed, on the south, a little
to the east of Kelso. The greater portion of it was
comprehended in the barony of Edenham. The
mansion-house called Henderside Park, stands on a
considerable eminence, and commands a beautiful
view of the valley of the Tweed, the rich country on
the opposite bank of the river, with the ruined towers
of the abbey rising above Kelso. The house was
erected in 1803, in front of a wood planted in 1775,
by William Ormiston, then proprietor of the estate,
with the view of building a mansion at the place.
It has been greatly enlarged and improved by the
present proprietor, John Waldie, in 1829 and 1840.
The policy is laid out with taste and skill, and the
approaches are judiciously formed. The house con-
tains a library of 18,000 volumes, classified and
arranged according to the subjects. In this library
is incorporated a smaller library, formerly in the
house of Mr. Waldie's grandmother, Jane Waldie or
Ormston, which was used constantly by Sir Walter
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 117
Scott, when quite a youth, at Kelso school, and where
he spent much time with Mrs. Waldie, who was an
intimate friend of his parents. Besides the library,
which is peculiarly rich in valuable works relative
to the fine arts, is a large and very valuable collec-
tion of paintings, chiefly of the old masters, and a
fine collection of antique marble columns supporting
busts, for the most part modern copies. The busts
of the Four Seasons, lately brought from Koine, are
the chefs-d'oeuvres of Benzoni, the Italian sculptor.
They are said to have been much admired during
the winter of 1856-7, at Eome, by the Empress and
Grand Duchess Olga, the Dowager Queen of Spain,
the King of Bavaria, and Pope Pius IX., who often
visited the studio of Benzoni.
The estate was acquired by one of the Ormstones
of Kelso about 1600, and was greatly added to by
that family till it went with Jane Ormstone, in
marriage to John Waldie of Berryhill, which was at
one time the property of the Earl of Both well. By
the death of her father, and other members of her
family, Jane Ormstone became vested in all the
property which belonged to them, and which she
conveyed to her eldest and only surviving son,
George Waldie, father of the present proprietor of
the Ormstone and Waldie estates, both in Boxburgh-
shire and Northumberland. The first of the name
of "Waldo" is said to have been a follower of
William of Normandy, and who settled in Sussex.
I 1 <S THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
One of the descendants of this Waldo was
secretary to an abbot of Kelso, and his offspring
acquired lands in and around Kelso. John Waldie
of Kelso married Elizabeth, niece of Sir Alexander
Don of Newton. The heir-apparent of the present
John Waldie is the only son of Sir Eichard Griffith.
Newton; Little Newton; Newton Don, and
Nenthorn; Naythansthorn. — The two manors of
Newton and Nenthorn were, during the 12th cen-
tury, the property of the Morvilles, the hereditary
constables of Scotland, who were also proprietors
of Bemersyde, Dryburgh, and Merton, on the same
bank of the Tweed. At the death of William
Morville in 1196, without lawful issue, his estates
and offices passed to his only sister, Elena, and her
husband, the lord of Galloway. They were suc-
ceeded by their only child, Allan, who was one of
the most opulent barons in Britain. He died in
1 234, leaving, by his wife Margaret, a daughter of
David, Earl of Huntingdon, three daughters, Elena,
Christian, and Dervorgil. Elena married Koger de
Quincey, Earl of Winchester, and her daughter
Margaret became Countess of Derby; Christian,
William de Fortibus, son of the Earl of Albemarle ;
and the youngest, John Baliol, the lord of Bernard
Castle, father of the Baliol who competed for the
(Town of Scotland. On the accession of the Bruce,
lie conferred the property on his favourite warrior,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 119
Sir James Douglas. The territory was held by-
vassals under the Morvilles, their descendants,
and the Douglas. It was served by two chapels
named after the manors, both dependant on the
mother -church at Edenham. Hugh, the first
Morville, gave the monks of Dryburgh the tenth of
the multure of his mills of Naythansthyrn and
Newton, with half-a-carrucate of land in Newton,
with pasture for nine oxen and one work-horse*
About 1162, Roger Bertram gave the tenth of the
mills of Naythansthorn to the monks of Dryburgh,
for the salvation of the soul of Hugh Morville, for
his own soul, and the soul of his wife Ada.f
Between 1212 and 1281, these grants were confirmed
by William, Bishop of St. Andrews.]: About 1388,
Richard de Hanganside, a vassal of the Douglas, gave
to the monks of Kelso all his land in the territory
of Little Newton, in, the constabulary of Lauder.
These subjects are called Comflat, with portions of
land and meadows, and described as " bounded by
the parish of Kelso on the south, and on the north
by the morass of Kanmuir, through which the
causeway and highway runs." In the end of the
12th century, Arnold, the diocesan of St. Andrews,
confirmed to the monks of Coldingham, the church
of Edenham, and both chapels of Newton and Nay-
thansthorn. In 1204, these monks compounded
* Lib. of Dryburgh, p. 145. t lb. p. 106. X lb. p. 107.
1 20 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
with William, the Bishop of St. Andrews, for their
rights, and conceded to him both chapels. Before the
year 131 6, the parishes of Naythansthirn and Newton
were erected into a parish, when the former was
made a parochial chnrch, and Newton a dependent
chapel.* On the 17th of March, 1316, William de
Lamburton, the Bishop of St. Andrews, gave to Wil-
liam de Alyncrombe, the abbot of Kelso, the* parish
church of Naythanthirn, and the chapel of Little
Newton, in exchange for the church of Cranstoun,
and the land of Preston, in Midlothian, which lay
contiguous to the bishop's property, as the former
did to the lands of Kelso. The bishop, at the same
time, agreed to pay for ten years, from and after the
Feast of Pentecost, 1317, the sum of 25 merks a-
year, under deduction of the salary of the chaplain
of said church, unless the revenues of Nenthorn and
Neuton should in any year amount to 25 merks.
The proceeds of the fruits and tithes beyond the
chaplain's salary were to be placed to the account of
the bishop and his successors, as payment of part of
that sum which the bishop bound himself to pay.
The reason of making this yearly payment, was in
consideration of the two chapels being reduced in
value by the war.f In June, 1317, a precept was
* The conjoined parish is only about two and a-half miles
long, by one and a-half broad.
t " Et quod dicta ecclesia nostra de Naythanthirn et ca-
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 121
issued by the diocesan to his Stewart in Lothian, to
give the monks of Kelso seisin of the church of
Naythanthim, and two days after, the Stewart
issued his precept to Henry Stulp, the baillie of
Wedale, ordering him to give the seisin as com-
manded. * In the end of the 16th century, the
master of Roxburgh possessed parts of the lands of
Little Newton, and was succeeded by Lady Mary
Ker, and Lady Carnegie, his sister, in 1634-f* In
1669, Mark Pringle was proprietor of the lands of
Nenthorn as heir of his father, Andrew Pringle. J
Nenthorn became the property of General Ker of
Littledean, the claimant of the Roxburgh honours
and estates, and sold by him to meet the costs of the
litigation. The lands are now owned by a family
of the name of Roy. Newton passed from the
Edmonstones to the family of Don, and is now pos-
sessed by a son of the late Balfour of Wittingham.
The mansion of Newton-Don was built by Sir
Alexander Don. It stands on the site of the old
chapel, and commands an extensive view in every
direction. The park is well wooded, and contains a
number of fine trees. On the north of the garden
is a beautiful weeping birch, fourteen feet in girth;
at four feet from the ground it divides itself into two
pella de Newton sunt exiles et per communein guerram des-
tructe et devastate."
* Stow, on the Gala, was the baillie's residence, and one of
the palaces of the bishops of St. Andrews.
t Ketours, No. 199. % lb. No. 355.
122 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
branches, one of which is eight feet seven inches in
girth, the other seven feet ; and the height is about
seventy-four feet. Near to it is another tree of the
same kind, and of about the same size. In the same
locality stands a fern-leaved beech-tree of great
beauty. Nearer the bank of the Eden is a woolly-
leafed poplar, having a trunk of about eight feet
in circumference, of considerable height, and its
limbs entwined with ivy. The ivy is three feet
thick, and for eight feet from the ground is distinct
from the tree ; at that height a part of it enters the
trunk of the poplar, from which it seems to have
derived nourishment, and the effect of the poplar's
nursing has been to convert the trunk of the ivy into
poplar wood. About two feet higher up, the ivy
assumes its natural appearance. Several yew-trees
are fully four feet in girth, and shade an area of
nearly forty feet diameter. A chestnut-tree, near the
east end of the house, is fourteen and a-half feet in
circumference, and rises to the height of nearly
eighty feet. At a short distance from the chestnut
are several magnificent wych elms, fifteen feet in
girth, and fully eighty feet high. The policy is
studded with remarkable hawthorn-trees. About
150 yards east from the house, a thorn-tree measures
nine feet at its base ; at twelve feet from the ground
its trunk is five feet and a-half, and the branches
cover an area of forty- three feet diameter. Within
a few hundred yards of this place may be seen six
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. ] 23
other thorns, of nearly equal dimensions with the one
described. The Eden forms the northern boundary
of the park, and at a place nearly opposite to the
mansion, the river throws itself over a trap dyke
about thirty-five feet of perpendicular height. The
spot is called Stitchel Linn. Forty years ago the
Linn was the scene of a very melancholy incident.
Two sisters of the late Sir Alexander Don, and a
lady guest, were drowned in the pool. They left
the mansion to walk in the woods, and had strayed
to this romantic scene. Not returning to dinner, a
search was made, and their bodies were found in the
Linn. No one could tell how the accident hap-
pened; but it was conjectured that one of the ladies
had slipped from the rock, and the other two were
drowned in endeavouring to save their companion.
Stitchell; Stichel; Stychill; Sticcanel. —
The name is thought to be derived from the Anglo-
Saxon, and means a steep hill ; but it may be that
the name is rather intended to describe the situation
of the town at two peculiar hills, stuck, as it were,
on the top of the ridge on which the town stands.
The village cannot be said to be placed on the top
of a steep hill. On the west and east, the approach
is nearly level, and on the south only there is a con-
siderable rise from the Eden, but not to such an
extent as to impose a name upon the village. The
situation commands an extensive view of the coun-
1 24 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
try to the south and west, comprehending the valley
of the Tweed and Teviot, and the whole range of
the Cheviot mountains from the west to their eastern
extremity, as well as the Eildon hills, Kuberslaw,
the Dunion, Penielheugh, and Downlaw. The hills
on the north of the town limit the vision in that
direction. The view from the top of the hill at the
base of which the mansion-house is situated, is well
worth the trouble of ascending from the valley of
the Eden. Perhaps this prospect is surpassed by the
view from Blacldawedge on the road above Easter-
stead. It is a lovely scene, rich and beautiful ; the
whole of the Merse spread out as a map before the
eye, with the palaces and mansions of the nobility
and gentry, environed with wood.
The barony of Sitchel, or the whole parish of that
name, was of old part of the territory of Gordon,
granted by David I. to an Anglo-Norman settler,
who assumed from it the name of Gordon. During
the reign of Malcolm IV., the lands were possessed
by the sons of the first Gordon, Eichard and Adam ;
Richard enjoyed the greater part of the lands of
Gordon, and Adam, the remainder, with Fanys.
The lands were all united by the marriage of Alicia
de Gordon with her cousin, Sir Adam Gordon. This
Sir Adam de Gordon supported Wallace, and fell
doing battle for the independence of his country,
about the end of the 13th century. His widow,
Marjory, swore fealty to Edward on the 3rd of
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 125
September, 1296, and received restitution of her
estates. But their son Adam followed in the foot-
steps of his father, and mainly contributed to the
first success of Bruce. He was warden of the
marches in 1300, and, as such, warned the Douglas
of the approach of the Earl of Arundel, with a
numerous army, against his stronghold in the forest.
In 1 305, he was fined three years' rent of his estates
by Edward I. In the same year, he was one of the
commissioners for settling the government of Scot-
land. In the same year, he was appointed one of
the Justiciars of Lothian. In consequence of Robert
I. granting to Sir Adam the estates of the faithless
Earl of Athol, in the shires of Aberdeen and Banff,
he and his vassals went north. He fell at the battle
of Halydonhill, in 1333, leaving to his eldest son
Alexander, the estates of Gordon, and the lordship
of Strathbogie in Aberdeenshire ; to his other son,
William, Stitchel, and Glenkins in Galloway.
The descendants of Alexander rose to be Dukes
of Gordon. About the end of the 13th century,
Nicolas de Sticcanel is seen granting to the hospital
of Soltre two sceppas of oatmeal, to be yearly received
from his granary at Lyda* This grant was con-
firmed by Eustacius of Sticcenil In April, 1358,
Robert, the Stewart of Scotland, and Earl of Strath-
* The skep measure is said to have been borrowed from
the English practice. It contained twelve bushels.
126 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
earn, granted to William Gordon of Stitchel, the
heritable office of keeper of the new forest of Glen-
kins in Galloway, as fully as the Earl himself had
got it from his uncle. David II. The family of
Gordon possessed the estates of Stitchel till the 17th
century. In 1604, Lord Eobert Gordon of Lochinvar
was served heir to his father in the lands of Stitchel.*
In 1598, Robert Hopper seems to have been owner
of part of Nether Stitchel. In that year, Robert
Hopper was served heir male of his father, Robert
Hopper, in two husbandlands, with pasture, in the
town and territory of the lordship of Stitchel. *f" In
the course of the 17th century, the lands of Stitchel
passed to Robert Pringle, whose grandson was
created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1683. His
eldest son, Sir John, succeeded, and married Margaret,
a daughter of Sir Gilbert Elliot of Stobs and Wells,
by whom he had four sons, one of whom was John,
a celebrated physician. His grandson, Sir John,
was the last Pringle of Stitchel. A family of Baird
now possess the lands.
The church of Stitchel appears at a very early
period as held by the priory of Coldingham to their
proper use. Thomas, the son of Ranulph, settled a
chantry in the chapel of Stitchel. Several disputes
occurred between the monks of Coldingham and
Thomas, in regard to this chapel and its lands, which
* Retours, No. 24. t lb. No. 24.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 127
required the presence of the delegates of the Pope
to adjust. An exchange was afterwards effected
between Sir Thomas and the same monks, of lands
in the manor of Stitchel * There seems to have
been other disputes in this parish; as the register
in 1457 contains notices of several appeals, one of
which is at the instance of the vicar of Stitchel. In
the reign of Alexander II., the church was rated at
thirty-four marks. Although the church belonged
to the monks of Coldingham, the Bishop of St.
Andrews, and his subordinate, the Dean of the
Merse, exercised jurisdiction over it, and the other
churches situated in that district.
There is now a church belonging to the United
Presbyterian body, having a congregation of about
three hundred individuals.
The salary of the parochial teacher is ^25, and
the school-fees amount to about as much more.
The Melrose Chronicle records the death of Philip
of Stitchel in 1221.f Eobert of Stitchel succeeded
Walter de Kirkham as Bishop of Durham, on the
9th of August, 1260. +
George Redpath, who died minister of Stitchel in
1772, collected materials for a history of Berwick-
shire, and left in MS. a history of the Borders, which
was published in 1776 by his brother Philip, minister
of Hutton.
* Chart of Coldingham, No. 72.
t Chron. MaiL p. 138. % lb. p. 185.
128 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
Holm ; Howm ; Home ; Hume. — The name of this
place is said by Mr Chalmers to be derived from the
Saxon Holm, signifying a hill, and not from the
same word, meaning a river island; but had this
learned and laborious writer seen the locality, it is
probable that he would have held the name as de-
scriptive of a rocky height surrounded by marsh and
moist meadows. It was described by Paton, who
accompanied the Protector Somerset in 1547, as
standing " upon a rocky crag, with a proud heith
over all the country about it, on every sycle well nie
fencedby marry 'sh, allmost round in forme with thick
walles, and, in which is a rare thing upon so hie and
stonie a ground, a fair well within yt." The name
would more correctly describe the situation in the
12th and 13th centuries, as surrounded with marshes,
meadows, and lochs. The view from the castle is
extensive and varied, taking in, on the north, the
Lammermuir range of hills, and on the south, the
Cheviot mountains, with all the fine country lying
between these mountain ranges. The Manor of
Home formed a part of the territory of the powerful
family of Dunbar before the end of the 11th century.
Before 1166, the fourth Gospatrick, Earl of Dunbar,
granted to his younger son, Patrick, the lands of
Greenlaw, where he fixed his abode. Patrick of
Greenlaw was succeeded by his son William, who mar-
ried his cousin Ada, who was a daughter of the first
Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, by Ada, a natural daughter
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 129
of William the Lion. Ada had been previously-
married to a Courteney, and obtained from her father,
Earl Patrick, as a marriage gift — in liberum mare-
tagium — the manor of Home. After the marriage
with Ada, William assumed Home as a surname,
and from this pair sprung the border clan of the
Homes. The church of Home was dedicated to St.
Nicholas, and was the property of Earl Gospatrick,
who granted to it a carrucate of land, with parochial
rights over that village and the half of Gordon. He
afterwards confirmed the same church, with two car-
rucates of land, and a meadow called Hawstrother, to
the monks of Kelso. Before 1159 this monastery
obtained a confirmation of the grant from Eobert,
the Bishop of St. Andrews. Ada, the wife of William
of Home, gave a portion of her land and buildings
in Home, called Pulles* on the margin of the Eden,
" where that rivulet formed the march between Home
and Nenthorn." Afterwards disputes arose between
William de Home and the monastery, as to their
rights in the territory of Home ; but in 1268 he
granted an acknowledgment to the monks that he
had unjustly treated them, and, according to a cus-
tom common at that time, swore upon the holy
Evangelists to do so no more, but protect their rights
in future, pay 100s. as damages and expenses, and
gave security for the payment thereof. The monks
do not seem to have put great faith in the promises
* Stables and other farm buildings.
VOL. III. K
130 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
of Home, as, in addition to his own seal attached to
the deed, the official seal of the Archdeacon of
Lothian and the Dean of the Merse were also ap-
pended.* He died shortly after the execution of this
deed, and his son William bound himself to confirm
it as soon as he had assumed military arms and
changed his seal. The lands, toft, and messuages in
Home, which formerly belonged to Adam Long,
were gifted to the monks of Kelso by Lord Walter
de Laynale. On the monks obtaining the patronage
of the church of Gordon, the territory of Gordon
and part of Weststruther was erected into a separate
parish by Richard, the Bishop of St. Andrews, who,
on that occasion, gave liberty to the men of Adam
Gordon to take the sacrament and bury their dead,
either at the new cemetery or at the graveyard of the
mother church of Home, so long as it pleased the
monks of Kelso. The parish of Home is now joined
to Stitchel, and is nearly of the same extent as it was
on Weststruther being erected into a separate parish.
After Home became the residence of William of
Greenlaw, the castle rose to be a place of importance,
and was gradually increased in strength as its lords
grew in power in the land. It was held by the
Homes under the Earl of March till January, 1435,
when their chief was forfeited, and they obtained in-
* It was the practice in that age for the parties in whose
favour a grant was made, to request that the seals of well-
known and respectable persons should also be appended to it.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 131
dependence by becoming tenants of the crown. In
1515, the castle was taken by the Regent Albany.
In the year following, Lord Home and his brother
were executed. In 1517, the castle was retaken by
the Homes, and maintained against the authority of
King and Regent. In 1522, George Home was re-
stored to the title and estates of his brother, which
had become vested in the crown. In 1529, Lord
Home was imprisoned. When Bowes, in 1542, en-
tered Scotland, he was met by the Earl of Huntly
and Lord Home at Haddonrig, and defeated. Lord
Home fell in a skirmish before the battle of Pinkie,
and his son and heir taken prisoner. The castle
was taken by the Protector Somerset, on returning
from his expedition. He pitched his camp at Hare-
crags, about a mile west from the castle, on the 20th
September, 1547, where he was visited by Lady
Home, entreating him to take the castle into his
protection, which he refused to do ; and on his de-
manding the castle to be delivered up, she begged a
respite till next day at noon, to enable her ladyship
to consult with her son, who was in the camp, and
other friends, keepers of the castle. A second respite
was granted till eight at night, and safe-conduct for
John Home of Cowdenknowes to meet with Somer-
set. After considerable debating, it was at last ar-
ranged that the castle was to be delivered up, and the
inmates to leave by ten next morning, with as much
bag and baggage as they could carry, excepting am-
132 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
munition and victuals. In case the keepers of the
castle should alter their mind during the night, the
English General caused eight pieces of ordnance,
fenced with baskets of earth, to be placed on the
south side of the crag next the castle. Next morn-
ing, Lord Grey was deputed by Lord Somerset to re-
ceive the castle from the hands of the Homes, and
Lord Dudley to be keeper thereof. The castle was
accordingly delivered up by Andrew Home and four
others of the principal persons therein. Within the
castle the English found store of victuals and wine
and 16 pieces of ordnance. In 1549, the Scots re-
took the castle by stratagem, and put the garrison to
the sword. Lord Grey, the English lieutenant on
the Borders, attempted to retake it, but failed. In
1565, Tamworth, the English messenger, was seized
at Dunbar by Lord Home, and carried to the castle
of Home, where he was detained for some days. In
November, 1566, Queen Mary was two nights at
Home Castle, on her way north from Jedburgh.
After the battle of Dunbar, Colonel Fenwick, on 3rd
February, 1650, appeared before the castle of Home,
and summoned the governor to surrender it to Crom-
well. The governor answered, ' I know not Crom-
well; and as for my castle, it is built on a rock;'
whereupon Colonel Fenwick played upon him with
the great guns; but the governor still would not
yield; Nay sent a letter couched in these singular
terms:
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 1 33
< 1, William of the Wastle,
Am now in my castle,
And a' the dogs in the town
Shanna gar me gang down.'
So that there remained, nothing but opening the
mortars upon this William of the Wastle, which did
gar him gang down."
The badge of the Homes was Kendalgreen. Their
slogan, or war-cry, was, " A Home ! a Home !"
Smalham ;* Smalhame ;f Smailholm. — The
name of this place signifies a small dwelling, ham-
let, or village. The town is situated on the summit
of a ridge, rising gradually from the margin of the
river Tweed, consisting of a church, school-house,
several shops, and a number of other houses. It
is six miles north from Kelso. The manor of
Smailholm appears in record as early as the begin-
ning of the twelfth century. It was granted by
David I. to David de Olifard, his godson, who con-
cealed the king after the battle of Winchester, and
accompanied him to Scotland. The family of Oli-
fard, or Oliver, is said to have sprung from a Danish
chieftain, who gained the surname of Barnakel, or
the Preserver of Children, from his dislike to the
favourite amusement of his soldiers, that of tossing
* Circa, 1160.
t lb. 1248; Chron. Mail. pp. 177, 179; Lib. de Dryburgh,
pp. 109, &c.
i 34 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
infants on their spears * During the reign of Mal-
colm IV., he appears acting as Justiciary of Lothian,
which extended to the Tweed. He held the same
office under William the Lion. David Olifard wit-
nessed many charters of David I., Malcolm IV., and
William the Lion. After the death of his godfather,
David de Olifard granted, in 1160, to the monks of
Dryburgh, a carrucate of land in Smailham, with pas-
turage for 300 sheep, for the remission of his own
sins, and for the souls of " my lord, who gave unto
me the lands, and for the souls of my ancestors and
successors."-)- This grant was confirmed by Malcolm
IV. during the same year.j Olifard also gave to
the house of Soltre a thrave of corn from one of his
manors of Smalham and Crailing.§ He left five sons,
the eldest of whom, David, succeeded to the estates
and offices of his father. He died at the end of the
1 2th century, leaving two sons, Walter and David,
The eldest acted as Justiciary for above twenty
years under Alexander II., by whom he was greatly
trusted. He granted the church of Smailholm and
* Vol. ii. p. 319. t Lib. de Dryburgh, p. 109.
t lb. p. 120.
§ Chart. Soltre, Nos. 16, 17. The thrave was the common
measure of corn at that period. The word is derived from
the British drev, signifying a tye. The Saxons used the
word "thrcaf" for bundle. It is probable that the word
threaf is from the British. The term comprehended two
stooks of 24 sheaves each. It is stui in use in various parts
of the country.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 135
its pertinents to the monks of Coldingham * Oli-
fard died in 1242, and was bnried in the abbey of
Melrose.f After his death, Walter of Moray is seen
m possession of the estates of Bothwell in Clydes-
dale and Smailholm ; and it is thought that he ob-
tained them by marriage with the heiress of David
Olifard. He seems to have resided at his manor of
Beth well, as a charter by him in favour of the monks
of Dryburgh, exempting them from paying multure
to kis mill at Smalholm, is dated at Bothwell in the
yea: 1278. J Walter died soon after, and was suc-
ceeded by his son William, who swore fealty to
Edvard in 1291. Not having any issue, his brother
Andrew succeeded to the territory of Smalhom, and
became celebrated as the companion in arms of the
illustrious patriot Wallace. He fell at the battle of
Stirling in 1297. His son Andrew, by a daughter
of John Cumyn of Badenoch, also joined the ranks
of Wallace, followed Bruce, and was the protector of
David II., his infant son. About 1465, Halyburton
of Merton, and Janet, his spouse, were tenants of the
monks of a plow of land of the Bouchicoittis, within
the lordship of Smailholm. In the end of the 15th
century, the lands of Smailholm seem to have been
* The present church is supposed to have been built in
L632. When the church was undergoing repair, a stone was
found above one of the doors, bearing the inscription, " Soli
Deo Gloria, 1632."
t Chron. Mail. p. 155. £ Lib. of Dryburgh, p. 110.
136 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
possessed by David Purves, who, in 1483, was found
guilty of treasonable assistance given to Albany, and
in-bringing of Englishmen, and his life and goods
forfeited.* Before 1515, the manor passed to Sir
William Cranston, grandfather of the first Lord
Cranston. About the same time, the Eutherfurds ap-
pear as owners of certain parts of the lands of Smafl-
holm. The family of Hoppringell are seen in con-
nection with Smailholm about 1493. In 1602,
James Hume of Coldenknowes was proprietor of
eighteen husbandlands in the territory of Smailholm;
in 1605, George Hoppringell, of Wranghame, two
husbandlands and three cottages, with the hills and
tower of Smailholm Crags towards the west, wiihin
the territory of Smailholm. It is now the property
of the Earl of Haddington. There was an hospital
within the manor of Smailholm, the property of the
abbey and convent of Dryburgh.-)*
In 1536, James Stewart, the abbot, feued to John
Hume of Cowdenknowes all and haill the lands of
Smailholm, Spittal, and pertinents, lying within the
sheriffdom of Eoxburgh, for thirty merks yearly.
In 1630, those lands were occupied by Cairncross
of Colmslie.
In May, 1303, Edward I. was at Smailholm, on
his journey north. He travelled from Eoxburgh to
Lauder on the same day.]:
* Acta Pari. vol. ii. p. 160. t Lib. de Dryburgh, p. 340.
X Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 53.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 137
Several persons have borne the surname of Smail-
hain. About 1207, Alexander de Smaiham, clerk,
is witness to a charter of William, abbot of Paisley.
Kobert of Smailham was abbot of Kelso from 1248
to 1258.* Adam of Smalham was abbot of Dere
in 1267.f Robert de Smalham got letters of safe-
conduct from Edward III. in October, 1365.J
Jean Duncan, the mother of Captain Cook, resided
in the barony of Smailholm, at the time of her
marriage with John Cook of Ednam. It is probable
the pair were married at Smailholm.
At a short distance to the west of the village of
Smalham, and within the manor thereof, stands the
ruins of a strong tower called Smailholm Crags,
better known as Sandyknowe Tower, amidst scenery
thus described by Sir Walter Scott :§ —
" It was a barren scene and wild,
Where naked cliffs were rudely piled ;
But ever and anon between,
Lay velvet tufts of loveliest green.
And well the lovely infant knew
Recesses where the wallflower grew,
And honeysuckles loved to crawl
Up the low crag and ruined wall."
The tower is a square building about 60 feet high,
surrounded with a stone wall, now in ruins, enclosing
a courtyard, defended on two sides by a morass, and
* Chron. Mail. p. 177. t lb. p. 197.
X Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 53.
§ Introduction to third Canto of "Marmion."
1 38 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
on the third by a precipice of steep rocks, accessible
only by the west end, and that so steep and rocky
that the approach is exceedingly difficult. The
apartments have been placed above each other; the
lower apartment arched with stone, and the others
with wood; a narrow stair winding up one side. The
walls are nine feet thick. On the outside of the wall
of the court was the chapel. From the top of the
tower is a magnificent view of the surrounding
scenery, —
" o'er hill and dale,
O'er Tweed's fair flood and Merton's wood,
And all down Teviotdale."
This tower belonged to the family of Hoppringell,
and, by various transmissions, came at last into the
family of Lord Polwarth. Sir Walter Scott's pater-
nal grandfather was farmer of Smailholm Crags,
including the barnikin and the surrounding varied
scenery. Here Sir Walter Scott resided for some
time while a boy, and it is believed that at the
blazing ingle of Sandyknowe the minstrel obtained
information which laid the foundation of his Border
lore. One of the crags near the tower is called the
Watchfold, and is said to have been the station of
a balefire during the Border wars. Cromwell be-
sieged this fort, and so obstinate was the defence of
the last John Pringle, that the English were forced
to batter down the chapel before the keepers of the
fort would surrender. This ancient fortress and its
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 139
vicinity is celebrated by Sir Walter Scott in the
"Eve of St. John."*
Weanghame. — This place is now a part of the
Merton estate, but in early times was the property
of the monks of Dryburgh, and, during the 16th
century, occupied by the Hoppringells. The town
stood in the eastmost field of the farm of Brother-
stones, which lies on the north side of the Smail-
holm road. It is now entirely removed, a few ash-
trees only marking the site of the hamlet. This
village is thought to be the place where Kenspid,
the nurse of St. Cuthbert, resided, with whom he
lived from the age of eight years till the time he
entered into the service of God. Bede relates, that
one day, when the saint was invited to Wranghame by
his nurse, " a house at the east end of the town took
fire, and the wind blowing strongly from that quar-
ter, increased the violence of the flames. His so-
called mother ran to the house where he was stay-
ing, and begged of him to pray to God to preserve
their houses from the flames that surrounded them.
Without the slightest fear, he charged his mother,
saying, ' Fear nothing, for this fire will not hurt you/
and falling prostrate on the ground before the door,
he prayed silently. Immediately, at his prayers, a
strong wind arose from the west, and turned the
fire away without doing harm to any one/'f Three
* Minstrelsy, p. 433. t Bede, chap. xiv.
1 40 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
large stones were taken away from Wranghame,
and set upright upon the hill, about three quarters
of a mile to the west of the town.
Mackarvastoun ;* Malcarstoun ;f Malkans-
toun;JMacarstoun;§ Malkerserton;|| Makers-
ton. — This barony lies on the left bank of the
Tweed, and originally extended northward till it
met the territory of Smailholm; on the west, it
was bounded by the lands of the Morvilles ; on the
south, the river was the boundary ; and on the east,
the manor of Kelso. Such was the old territory of
Mac-car; and though the domain is not now so
wide, it still is a fair barony. The mansion is seen
to great advantage from the south side of the river,
especially from the North British Railway, a little
to the east of Rutherford station. The house has
undergone considerable enlargement and improve-
ments in comparatively modern times. It was cast
down by the Earl of Hertford in 1 545. It is thought
to have been rebuilt in 1 590, as the weather-cock,
which formerly stood on the top of the house, was
taken down in the course of recent improvements,
contains the letters T. M. M. H., and the date 1590,
and is yet to be seen near the Observatory. When
Hertford destroyed the house, the ground storey,
* Circa, 1116, 1130, 1150. t lb. 1159. X lb. 1159.
§ lb. 1291. || lb. 1296.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 141
composed of massy stone arches, must have been
left, and on which the house of 1590 has apparently
been erected. The lower part of the house is
undoubtedly far older than the other parts of it.
The policy is full of valuable wood. On the north
of the mansion, a number of fine wych elms are to
be seen, of about fifteen feet in girth, and rising to
the height of at least seventy feet. A remarkable
tree of this kind stands about 150 yards north of
the house ; it is fully fifteen feet in circumference,
and at a few feet high sends out a massy branch in
a straight line from its trunk. There are also a
number of fine beech-trees that raise their graceful
forms to a great height. The sycamore and ash
trees also abound, many of them ten and twelve feet
in circumference, and rise fully sixty feet high. On
the banks of the river, and in the park, are a few
fine thorns mixed with the other wood, adding
greatly to the beauty of the scenery, and affording,
as remarked by an accomplished botanist, a favourite
concealment in which the thrush seeks to build her
nest:
" Within yon milk-white hawthorn bush,
'Mang her nestlings sits the thrush ;
Her faithfu' mate will share her toil,
Or wi' his songs her care beguile."
It is thought that the name was conferred on this
place by some early settler of the name of Mac-car,
but of whom no other trace exists than the name of
J 42 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
this ancient baronial mansion. The earliest pro-
prietor named in the records is Walter Corbet, who
acquired the barony about the middle of the 12th
century. His father was Robert Corbet, who came
from Shropshire in the beginning of the 12th
century, and settled in Teviotdale under Earl David.
In the "Inquisitio Davidis, 1116," Robert Corbet
is a witness to the charter of Prince David to the
monastery of Selkirk. He also witnessed a grant
of David I. to the monks of Dunfermline. Before
1159, Walter Corbet gave to the monks of Kelso the
church of Malkariston, with the tithes thereof, and
a piece of land, lying on the Tweed at Brockesford,
which he had given to that church at the time of its
dedication. This land he afterwards exchanged
with them, and added, for the love of God, that
piece of land called " Gret-riges-medow" for the
safety of William his king. Walter, his son, made
another grant to them of half-a-ploughgate, with
toft and croft, and confirmed a grant by Michael,
one of his vassals, of two acres of land, lying on the
north side of the road from Langtoune to Roxburgh.
He married Alice, a daughter of Philip de Valoines,
the chamberlain who possessed the barony of King-
wode in Teviotdale. She bare to him a son and a
daughter; the former died in the lifetime of his
father, and the latter, Christian, married William,
the second son of Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, carrying
with her all the vast estates of her father. On the
KOXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 143
marriage taking place, Earl Patrick conveyed to his
son William the manor of Foghou in Berwickshire.
Christian had two sons to William, named Nicholas
and Patrick, who assumed their mother's name of
Corbet Nicholas got Makerston, and Patrick
obtained from his father the manor of Foghou.
Foghou afterwards went to the Gordon family, still,
holding of the Dunbars till 1400, when it was
forfeited by Earl George. The monks of Kelso
granted leave to Christian and her husband to
celebrate divine worship in their own chapel at
Malcarvistoun ; in return, William, with the consent
of his son Nicholas, and for the safety of his wife
Christian, granted the monks a release of all claims
which he might have on their estate, and, in pre-
sence of the Bishop of Dunkeld, swore to perform
faithfully his promise. The last of the ancient race
of the Corbets died in 1241, and was buried in the
chapter-house of Melrose Abbey.* But her son,
Nicholas, by Gospatric, and his heirs, inherited the
lands. In 1263, on the feast of St. Lucia, in the
refectory of the abbey, and in presence of the king,
Nicholas Corbet granted to the monks of Melrose,
for their support and recreation, all the fisheries in
the river Tweed, from Dal Cove on the west, to
Brockesmouth on the east, on condition that the
produce thereof should be applied to the proper uses
* Chron. Mail. p. 153.
1 44 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
of the convent. Leave was given by him to the
men of the convent to land their cobells and nets on
part of his grounds, with passage through his lands
to the fisheries, and the privilege to build a fishing-
house.* But troublous times were at hand, during
which it is difficult to trace the fortunes of the
family. In 1296, Alexander Corbet was detained
captive in Windsor.-)* In 1334, Edward III. com-
manded restitution of the lands and goods of Patrick
Shartres, [Chartres], and Margaret Corbet, lady of
Malkerstoun.J About 1390, Archibald M'Dowell
got a grant from Robert III. of the lands of M'Car-
stoune, Yhethame,andElystoun.§ In 1 398, Archibald
M'Dowell of M'Carstoune appeared at Melrose, and
granted an obligation for the amount of his relief,
granted by the Crown "to the new worke of the
kirke of Melrose." || In 1478, Dougal M'Dowall
of M'Carstoun, was ordained by the Lords of
Council to pay to Robert, the abbot of Kelso,
twelve chalders and a-half of victual, for the teinds
of M'Carstoune, for the year bypast, in terms of the
obligation by him to the abbot. ^[ In the same year,
M'Dowell was summoned before the Lords Auditors
for one hundred merks, by Walter Kerr of Caverton .**
In 1480, the Lords of Council allowed Dougal a
* Lib. de Melros. t Botuli Scotiae, vol. i. p. 45.
t lb. vol. i. p. 271. § Kobertson's Index, p. 148, No. 27.
II Lib. de Melros, p. 490. IT Acta Dom. Con. p. 26.
** Acta Aud., p. 69.
EOXEUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 145
proof that he had paid the abbot of Kelso 12
chalders 4 bolls of meal and bear, 4 bolls of wheat,
for the land of M'Carstoun, at the terms of St.
Andrews and Candlemass. In 1483, the Lords
Auditors heard Dougal M'Dowell and Walter Kerr
of Cessford, in the cause pursued by Cessford v.
M'Dowell, for L.100, being the penalty contained in
an agreement between them, for fulfilling of a con-
tract of marriage between Andrew M'Dowell, the
son of M'Carstoun, and Margaret Kerr, a daughter
of Cessford, and continued the cause, in con-
sequence of Dougal alleging that he was possessed
of a discharge of the same. On the 17th October,
1493, Dougal M'Dowell pursued Alexander Craik,
John Craik, Martine Gibsine, George Bowo, John
Richardson, and Thomas Tailfor, Thomas Bowo,
Thomas Donaldson, Adam Camis, James Bowo,
Richard Bowo, John Tod, and Thomas Aitchison,
chaplain, for the wrongous occupation of the lands
of Rhynynlaws, and the Spittal Green, belonging to
him, as part of the lands of M'Carstoun. The Lords
adjourned the cause to the next Justiciare at Jed-
burgh.* In the same year, a reference was entered
into between the said Dougal M'Dowell and Nichol
Ormiston, to John Eclmonstone, son and apparent
heir of the laird of Edmonstone, William Sinclair
of Moreham, Mr. Patrick Aitkinson, and Mr. William
* Act. Aud., p. 303.
VOL. III.
146 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Scott, as arbiters, and George Douglas of Bonjed-
worth, oversman, and, failing him, the Laird of Kuth-
erfurd, or Walter Ker of Cessford, in regard to the
withholding of 100 merks claimed by the said Laird of
M'Carstoun from Ormiston, for the gersome of Mer-
dane ; and also as to the said Laird of M'Carstoun
withholding a tack of the West Mains of M'Cars-
toun from Ormiston ; parties to meet in the chapel of
Fairningtoune on the sixth day of November next *
In 1536, Thomas M'Dowell of Macarestoune found
caution of 1000 merks to underlye the law at the
next Justiciaire at Jedburgh, for oppression and
hamesucken done to Alexander Dunbar, dean of
Murray, and his servants. In 1545, the army of
Hertford visited the barony, and destroyed the town
of Makerston, Manerhill, and Charterhouse, Luntin-
law, and Stotherike tower. In 1564, the Laird of
M'Carstoun was one of the prolocutors for Elliot of
Horsleyhill, and others, for the slaughter of the Laird
of Hassendean. Alexander M'Dougall of Stodrig
was also one of the defenders of the pannels. The
Laird of Makerstoune was one of the assize on the
trial of William Sinclair of Herdmanstone, in 1565,
for the murder of the Earl Bothwell's servant; and
he defended James Bog, accused of the slaughter of
George Hamilton of Pardovane.f In 1590, Thomas
Makdougal rebuilt the house which had been cast
* Act. And., p. 312. t Pitcairn's Trials, vol. i. p. 477.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 147
down by Hertford. In 1596, Thomas Macdougall
of Mackarstoune was one of the assize on the trial
of Robert Hamilton of Inchmauchane, Sir James
Edmestoune of Duntraith, and James Lockart of
Ley, accused of treason. In 1598, the Laird of
Mackerstoune published an advertisement, that he
would undertake to make land more valuable by
sowing salt on it.* In 1604, James Macdougal
succeeded his father, Thomas Macdougal, in the
lands and barony of Makerstoun. In 1608, he ac-
quired the lands and town of Danieltown, near Mel-
rose.f In 1622, Sir William Macdougal and a num-
ber of others were fined 100 merks, for being absent
from the trial of Turnbull of Belsches, and others,
for perjury.]: In 1625, the Laird of Malkerstoun
was a commissioner to the Parliament for the county
of Roxburgh. In 1643, Robert, Earl of Roxburgh,
seems to have been possessed of the lands and barony
of M'Caristoune.§ About the same time, " Ettrick
Heidis, and Ettrick Medowis," part of the lands of
M'Caristoune, belonged to John Veitche. || Before
1568, Captain Robert Macdougall was in possession
of part of the estates of Makerstoune, as at that
time Barbara Macdougal, his niece, and spouse to
Harry Macdougal, was served heir to him in the
lands of Lyntonlaw, the lands of Wester Meredene,
* Birrel's Diary. t Retours, No. 50.
X Pitcairn's Trials, vol. iii. p. 539.
§ Retours, No. 181. II lb. No. 182.
14-8 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
part of the barony of Makerstoune, and the lands of
Townfootmains, also within said barony. In 1665,
Harry Macdougal, and John Scott of Langshaw, were
commissioners for the shire of Eoxburgh. In 1669,
Charles II. granted a charter of donation and con-
cession to and in favour of Henry Makdougal of
M'Cariston, in liferent, and of Thomas Macdougal,
his only son, procreate of the marriage between him
and Barbara M'Dougal, and his heirs in fee, all and
haill the lands and barony of M'Caristoune, with the
tower, fortalice, manor place, comprehending the
lands of Luntonlaw, and the lands of Westermuir-
deane, the lands of Nethermains, commonly called
the Townfootmains, the ten-mark lands of M'Caris-
ton, and the lands of Manorhill and Charterhouse.
By the same charter, his Majesty annexed and erected
said lands into a barony, to be called the barony of
M'Caristoune, ordering the said tower and fortalice
to be the principal messuage of the lands and barony,
and at which sasine was to be taken for all the
lands and barony, whether lying contiguous or not.
In 1670, the charter was ratified by Parliament.*
In 1678, Henry M'Dougal, and Robert Pringle of
£>titchel, were commissioners to Parliament for the
county of Roxburgh. In May 10, 1689, Henry
Macdougal appeared before the Convention of Estates,
and bound and enacted himself, on his word of
* Acta Pari. vol. viii. p. 41.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 149
honour as a gentleman, to live peaceably, and with
submission to the present government of William
and Mary, and appear before the Committee of
Estates, when called upon or cited to appear.* In
1692, he was one of the commissioners on the an-
nexation of the four parishes of Eskdale to Roxburgh-
shire. In the beginning of the 18th century, the
barony of M'Caristoun was carried into the family
of Hay, by Barbara, the heiress of Henry Macdougal,
marrying George, brother of Sir Thomas Hay of
Adderstone, at whose death he succeeded to the
baronetcy and estates. Sir George was Lieutenant-
Colonel of the Royal North British Dragoons. He
died in 1777, at the advanced age of seventy-three
years ; and Barbara, his spouse, died in the following
year, aged seventy-four. Sir Henry succeeded, and
married Isabella, a daughter of Admiral Sir James
Douglas, Bart, of Springwood Park. Sir Henry
died in 1825, leaving three daughters, the eldest of
whom, Anna Maria, married, in 1819, Thomas Bris-
bane, Esq., who was created a baronet in 1836.
On 14th August, 1826, Sir Thomas and his wife
were authorized, by sign manual, to use the sur-
name of Macdougal before that of Brisbane. Sir
Thomas is a G.C.B., G.C.H., LL.D., F.R.S., President
of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and a General in
the army.
* Acta ParL voL ix. p. 17.
150 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
In the barony of Makerstoun, the monks of Kelso
had two carrucates of land, with pasture for 300
lambs, which they estimated at 40s. yearly. They
had two cottages, each having a toft and half-an-
acre of land, with common pasture for two cows.
Four of these cottages rented for four shillings yearly,
and nine days' labour ; and the other four rented at
Is. 6d. each, and nine days' work. They had also
a brewhouse in the town, with an acre of land, which
rented for five shillings yearly. The church belong-
ing to the monks was " in rectoria" and stated by
them to be usually worth 20 marks.
On the apex of the rocky bank of the Tweed, a
short distance above the mansion of Makerston, are
traces of a small camp, which seems to have taken
in a part of the face of the crag, as one of the ditches
terminates in the precipice. This camp is exactly
opposite to the strong fort called Eingley Hall, on
the top of the steep cliff forming the right bank of
the river. From the size of the camp, it is obvious that
it could only have been occupied by a small body
of men, probably to watch the movements of the
occupants on the other side of the river.
Within the barony is Charterhouse, which was
of old a priory inhabited by a small society of Car-
thusians. They possessed half of the midtown and
mains of Sprouston.
During the reign of William the Lion, Adam de
Malcarvestoun was vicar of Cranstoun.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 151
The Manor of Roxburgh. — In the days of Earl
David, the manor was of great extent ; and at the
time he ascended the throne, the greater portion of
it remained in his own hands. In 1147, a carru-
cate of land is described as lying within his lordship
of Roxburgh— " dominico meo de Rokesburg."*
During the reigns of his successors, Malcolm IV.
and William the Lion, a considerable part of the
territory was held by subjects; but all that land
which was necessary for the defence of the Castle of
Roxburgh was kept by the kings in demesne. In
1 232, the monks of Melrose obtained from the Earl
of Oxford a grant of " four acres of arable land in
the territory of Old Roxburgh, upon the Tweedflat,
as they lay in one tenement along the stones placed
as bounds — perambulated by him and other good
mea, and this grant he made in presence of the
monks, and many of his own and other men,
and made the oblation by placing a rod on the
great altar of the monastery. "*f* In 1250, Walter
was steward of Old Roxburgh ; and in 1264, Stephen
the Fleming seems to have had the bailyerie under
his charge. In 1265, Hugh de Berkeley drew from
the bailierie ^40, 6s. 8d. Before 1296, Nicholas de
Soules was a tenant-in-chief of the king of lands in
Roxburgh. In 1306, Richard Lovel and Muriel,
his wife, obtained from the English king the lands
and tenements in Old Roxburgh, which had belonged
* Reg. Glas. pp. 9, 10. t Lib. de Mailros, p. 228.
152 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
to John de Soules. On the independence of Scot-
land being regained, Lovel lost the manor of Kox-
burgh, but in 134*7 it was restored.* In 1403, the
manor was granted to Henry de Percy, Earl of Nor-
thumberland, by Henry IV. -f* In 1434, the Duchess
of Turon was in possession, in terms of an agree-
ment made with her brother, James I. In 1451,
the barony was granted by James II. to Andrew
Ker of Altonbourne, for payment of a silver penny
at Whitsunday, in name of blencke ferme, if de-
manded, and with whose descendants it still remains. \
At that time the barony was nearly co-extensive
with the parish, excepting the barony of Fairning-
ton, which lay up to the Watling-street on the
west. The court of the barony was held at Friars,
situated between the Tweed and Teviot.§ In the
remains of this religious house, the family of Eox-
burghe occasionally resided, especially during the
rebuilding of Floors in 1718. The gardens of the
convent were kept up till 1780, when, it is said,
the butler to Duke John ploughed them up, and
destroyed several beautiful vestiges of antiquity.
In these gardens there was a raised walk called the
Lovers' Walk, between two rows of large elms, ter-
minating with a remarkable wych elm, called the
" Trysting Tree," " whither/' says the informant of
* Eotuli Scotise, vol. i. pp. 697, 698. t lb. p. 163.
X Reg. Mag. Sig. lib. iv. No. 3, supra.
§ Supra, vol. ii. p. 74.
ROXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 153
the editor of " Gilpin's Forest Scenery," " the beaux
and belles of these old times used to resort to enjoy
themselves on a summer evening, and to eat the fruit,
which was always sold during the absence of the fa-
mily. Upon these occasions, the gentlemen were often
made to walk blindfolded in the alley; and if any
one failed to grope his way from one end of it to the
other, without diverging from the grass into either
border, he was immediately fined in a treat of fruit/'*
It is said, that many a courtship came to a happy
termination at this antiquated Vauxhall. The
trysting tree, one of the largest wych elms on record,
stood on the margin of the Teviot, near to where
that river was forded before the erection of the
bridge. It died several years ago, and its remains
have been entirely removed from the place where it
grew. The trunk measured thirty feet in girth.
Mason, in his " History of Kelso/' published in 1789,
calls it " the king of the woods and prince of the
neighbouring trees." Several articles of furniture
have been made out of the timber of this tree, and
may be seen at Floors. It exists in a young tree
growing in Springwood Parkf It is said by Sir
Thomas Dick Lauder, that Mr. Smith of Kelso in-
formed him, " that the most plausible tradition re-
garding the origin of the trysting tree is, that the
* Gilpin's Forest Scenery. Edited by Sir Thomas Dick
Lauder. 1834.
t Postea, description of Springwood Park.
154 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
lairds of Cessford and Ferniehirst, with a number of
Scottish gentry, assembled there in 1547, to meet the
Protector Somerset, during his rough courtship, and to
swear homage to the King of England/' It is, how-
ever, obvious, that the tree could not derive its name
from such a meeting. The name of the " Try sting
Tree" means, that the tree was a place of constant
meeting, where lovers told their hopes and fears :
" When winds were still, and silent eve,
Came stealing slowly o'er the lea."
Tradition bears, that it was under this tree that the
Earl of Douglas and his friends met on the night of
Shrovetide, in 1313, and dressed themselves in the
skins of bullocks, before proceeding to recover the
castle of Roxburgh by stratagem, in which they
were successful ; but while the locality was a likely
one for the warriors of Teviotdale to assemble on
such an occasion, it may well be doubted whether the
try sting tree had any existence at that early period.
About thirty acres of this peninsula, called the
Kelso lands, are said by several authorities to be
includedwithin the parish of Kelso, while others of
equal claim to respect give the whole of the land
lying between the Tweed and Teviot to the parish
of Roxburgh. Before the year 1147, the churches
of Roxburgh, with the lands belonging to them,
were the property of the Bishop of Glasgow. On
the death of the bishop, the churches reverted to
David I., who conferred them, with their pertinents,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 155
on the monks of Kelso. This grant was confirmed
in 1159, by his successor, Malcolm IV. It seems
that a part of the church lands had not been granted
by the king; for, in 1160, Bishop Herbert restored
to the churches of Koxburgh that part of the parish
lying without the moat of the town, between the
Tweed and Teviot, towards the abbey, which he
retained in his hand under an agreement with King
Malcolm, " as fully as Ascellin, the archdeacon, had
these churches in the time of King David and
Bishop John;" and granted and confirmed the same
churches, without diminution, to the monks of Kelso.*
William the Lion confirmed to the monks of Kelso
the same churches and lands as held by Archdeacon
Ascellin. In T180, Bishop Joceline confirmed the
previous grants, and added all casualties, with lands,
and titles, pertinents, and rights, and patronage of
said churches, for the proper use and maintenance of
the monks. King William confirmed this grant
before 1199. In 1201, at Perth, an arrangement
was entered into in presence of the Pope's legate,
between the bishops of St. Andrews and Glasgow
and the monks of Kelso, regarding all the churches
of the monks situated in the two dioceses, from
which the churches of Boxburgh were exempted, as
being free of all synodal aids, entertainments, and
corrodies, under the provision that there should be
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 326.
156 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
perpetual vicars in these churches, and who required
to be approved of by the Bishop of Glasgow before
being inducted. These grants and arrangements
were confirmed by Pope Innocent IV. From this,
it will be seen, that the monks of Kelso had the
charge of the churches of the burgh, with the little
district attached, till they were destroyed in the
beginning of the 15th century. I do not see any
grounds for holding that any part of the peninsula
lies within the parish of Kelso. There can be no
doubt that the territory was held by Ascellin, the
Archdeacon of Glasgow, and included in the grant
by Malcolm IV. to the church of Glasgow, Bishop
Herbert, and his successors.* It is not sufficient to
make this little district a part of the parish of Kelso,
that it was granted to the monks of Kelso, and that
they presented to the Bishop of Glasgow vicars for
induction in the churches of the burgh. Whenever
the monks ceased to take charge of the district, it
devolved upon the mother-church of Auld Rox-
burgh, as lying within the original parish, and not
upon the parson of the church of Kelso. The
church of St. John, in the King's Castle, had an
independent parish, as well as the churches of St.
James, and the Holy Sepulchre; and if these two
are to be placed within the parish of Kelso, what is
to become of the parish of St. John?
* Reg. of Glas. p. 14.
KOXBURGHSHIEE, ETC. 157
The exact site of the avid church at Eoxburgh
has been disputed ;* but I am now satisfied that it
stood within the graveyard of old Eoxburgh, at the
east end of the present church, which was built in
1752. The old church was nearly wholly under-
ground, having a strong arched roof of stone, with
an entrance-porch of the same construction, descend-
ing by six or seven steps to the body of the church.
The porch still exists, partly modernized, and is the
burying-place of the family of Sunlaws.-J- The
arched doorway into the old church is to be seen in
the north gable of the aisle. On a stone in the
built-up portion of the arch, are the letters raised,
"A. K. M. H., Anno 1612/' A small stone of
about a foot square, with a pedestal, surrounded by
a raised border, stands near to the walk running
south from the church, bears to have been erected in
* Supra, vol. ii. p. 57. The town at the castle existed in
the beginning of the 16th century ; and, at that time, it is
certain that a church and graveyard existed where the
present church now is. There were no churches in this district,
except the mother-church, and the churches of the burgh
and castle. If, then, a church stood at this place in the
beginning of the 16th century, it could only be the mother-
church of Auld Eoxburgh. There is not the slightest trace of
a church and graveyard at any other spot in the parish. Had
there been another graveyard, the ashes of the Kers would
not have lain in the graveyard at the parish church.
t It was formerly the burying-place of the Kers. The
family of Sunlaws succeeded to part of the entailed estates of
Sir Andrew Ker of GreenheacL
1 58 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
1402, to the name of Hope, but the letters are
evidently of a later date. A stone, standing against
the church wall, records that it was erected in 1 788,
to a member of the family of Hogg, who had resided
there for 600 years. Another stone bears that the
ashes of Eandolph Ker, son of Thomas Ker of
Altonburn, repose in the neighbourhood of the
church. Near to the west-end of the church, an
inscription on a stone shows that William Weymess,
minister of the parish, was interred there in 1658.
A little to the west of the church, a tombstone
points out the place where sleeps the celebrated
Blue-gown, Edie Ochiltree, who died at Roxburgh
New-town, in 1793, aged 106. On the back of the
stone is a full-length figure of Blue-gown, with a
dog at his feet, a staff in one hand, and a bag in the
other, which he is holding up, and above the figure
are the words, " Behold the end o't ;" intended to
represent a scene, which tradition says took place
between Ochiltree and a recruiting-serjeant at St.
Boswell's Fair. When the Serjeant finished a
harangue to the rustics on the glories of war, Blue-
gown stepped forward, held up his " meal-pock," and
exclaimed, " Behold the end o't."*
The present village consists of a row of houses
* This monument was erected in 1849 to Ochiltree's
memory, by Mr. William Thomson, farmer of Over Kox-
burgh, who, in his boyhood, had seen Blue-gown when he
visited his father's house.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 159
on the side of the road which leads to the passage
of the river. A number of these householders are
called cotlanders, from possessing, with their house
and yard, about two acres of land.
In a field adjoining the manse, are the ruins of
a tower, formerly of considerable strength, and
popularly known as Wallaces Tower* and Merlin's
Cave. The writer of the "Old Statistical Account"
says that old people " remember its having various
apartments ; the windows and doors secured by iron
bars and gates, and the lintels and door-posts,
especially those of the great porch, highly orna-
mented by grand Gothic sculpture. They speak
also with rapture of the fine gardens, the fruit trees,
and various works of decoration, whereby they have
seen this mansion surrounded/'-)- While an examina-
tion of the ruins does not induce the belief that the
tower warranted the description given by the old
people to the minister of the parish, it shows that it
has been a well-built strength, of the size and form
common in the 15th and 16th centuries. The ruins
contain no sculptured stones ; indeed, the building
* It is said by Blind Harry, that Wallace built a tower
within a little space of Eoxburgh ; but it is probable that the
name of Wallace's Tower was conferred upon the building on
account of its strength. In the Borderland, everything
strong or powerful is named after the patriot, whose fame
will ever live in the memories of the people. In this part
of Scotland, no monument is needed to his memory.
t Old Statistical Account, vol. xix. p. 129.
ICO THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
has not been of that kind on which much ornament
was expended ; but the stones forming the sides of
the door and corners of the walls, have all been
removed. The ground-flat still exists, about 30 feet
in length, and 20 feet in breadth, strongly arched
over with stone. An entrance from this apartment
leads into a circular space in the corner, also arched
with small slits in the wall for defence. Part of the
stair is still to be seen. The walls are fully six
feet thick, and strongly built. On the summit of
the wall, I noticed a thorn-tree in full blossom, and
several small ash- trees nodding silently in the breeze.
At a short distance to the north of the ruins is an
ash-tree, nearly 10 feet in circumference, and about
50 feet in height. All around the ruins the ground
bears evidence of the existence of building, which
formed, in times long bygone, a part of the town of
old Roxburgh. In September, 1545, this tower was
destroyed by the Earl of Hertford, and is entered in
the list of places rased as "the toure of Rockes-
borough." It is occasionally called Sunlaws Tower,
and North Sunlaws Tower.
Sunlaws. — This estate lies on the right bank of
the river Teviot. The situation of the mansion,
naturally beautiful, has been improved as far as
possible by art. This estate formerly belonged
to the Kers. In 1588, William Ker of Cessford
possessed this property, as part of the barony of
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 161
Roxburgh.* It afterwards belonged to the Kers of
Greenhead; and, at the death of Christian Ker,
commonly called Lady Chatto, who was lineally
descended from William Ker of Greenhead, brother-
german to the Earl of Ancrum, the entailed estates
of Sunlaws and Chatto passed to William Scott of
Thirlestane, who assumed the name and arms of
Ker. In 1661, James Scott, broth er-german to Sir
William Scott of Harden, acquired the lands of
Thirlestane, Heaton, and others, from Sir Andrew Ker
of Greenhead. Alexander Scott, the grandson of
James Scott, married Barbara Ker of Erogden, by
whom he had the said William Scott, first of Sun-
laws. He died in 1782, and was succeeded by his
eldest son, who was a lieutenant in the army, and
died, unmarried, at Philadelphia, in 1790. Robert
Scott Ker, his brother, then succeeded to the estates,
and married Elizabeth Bell, daughter of David Eyffe
of Drumgarth, Forfarshire, by whom he had issue,
the present proprietor, WTilliam Scott Ker, and
five daughters. There was formerly a tower at Sun-
laws, and it is supposed that it was the strength re-
ferred to by Lord Dacre in his letter to the Earl of
Surrey, in July, 1523. He states, that after the burn-
ing of Kelso, he " proceeded to a great towre called
Synlaws, three miles within Kelsoo, and kist it
doune/' It is said, that while Prince Charles was
* Reg. Mag. Sig. lib. xxxvii. p. 125.
VOL. III. M
I 62 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
on his way to Jedburgh, in 1745, he passed a night
at Sunlaws.
Ringley Hall. — This place is on the south side
of the Tweed, on the top of a high cliff which over-
hangs the river. According to old maps, it is
several hundred yards within the parish of Roxburgh,
the boundary line between Maxton and Rox-
burgh being exactly opposite to Makerston Mill.
The name is obviously derived from the British
Rhin, a point, and ley, a fortified place, a court or
manor house; i.e., Ringley, a fortified place on the
point or nose of the promontory.* I have no doubt
a fort at this place was first constructed by British
hands, and at a very early period. There are good
grounds for believing that the territory of Boadicea
extended to the Tweed. The name of the river
would at least indicate that it formed a boundary
line, when the name was imposed. Tweed is the
ancient British Tuedd, signifying "the state of being
on a side the border of a country." There can be
no doubt, however, that when the Romans left the
country, to defend their own homes and altars, the
* The Saxons added Heal or Hall, meaning the same thing
as the British ley, a court-house or principal place. It is
likely that Ringley was at one time the residence of one of
the great men of the country, whose name has heen lost in
the sands of time, while the ruins of his house remain a
memorial to future ages of the state of the district in early
days.
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 103
Tweed formed the boundary between the Saxon
people of Lothian on the north, and the Komanized
Britons on the south of the river. The whole south
bank of the Tweed has been bridled with forts and
strengths of every kind. This fort now forms part
of a plantation, the eastern fence of which has en-
croached upon the strength. Like all the early forts,
it takes in all the naturally strong points of the cliff.
The crown of the fort is an exact circle, and level
with a rampart of earth of about six feet high from
the inside. Within the rampart, the level top mea-
sures about 180 feet in diameter, and the entrance
thereto has been from the east about 36 feet wide. In
the south-west side of the upper circle are traces of a
stone building of about 40 feet square. From the
top of the upper rampart to the next terrace or level,
is 18 perpendicular feet, and has been made as steep
as could be done with soil or turf. This level is
nine yards wide, with a rampart on its edge which
ends on the brink of the cliff. From this rampart
to the next level is 15 perpendicular feet, and as
steep as the one above it. This level is 18 feet wide.
The rampart to this level forms the outer defence
to the fort, and is six feet high, composed of dry
stones, both ends terminating, like the middle
rampart, on the edge of the precipice. When entire,
the height, measuring from the plain ground on the
outside, must have been about 34 feet perpendicular.
It is said by several writers, that it is a Danish fort,
I <M< THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
by others, Roman; but I do not think there are any
grounds for attributing its formation to either of
these people. The writers of both old and new
statistical accounts refer to a tradition in regard to
this locality, which relates, that during the Border
wars, an English army occupied Ringley Hall, and
the Scots lay on the opposite side, in a place called
the "Scots' Hole." The English, being superior in
numbers, resolved to pass over to the enemy at a
ford a little above this place ; but the Scots, creeping
out of their hole, attacked them while part of the
army was in the dangerous passage of the river, and,
after an obstinate battle, the English were beaten,
and many of them slain and interred in the burying-
ground at Rutherford. From this battle tradition
tells us, that the place was called Rue-theford, on
account of the great loss sustained by the English.
Such is one tradition ; but there exists another, which
says, that it was a ford through which Ruther,
king of Scots, was conducted while on an ex-
pedition against the Britons, and was from that
circumstance named Rutherford. I have no doubt
that this important passage of the river has been
often well-contested; but it is clear to me, that
the traditions, so far as the name of the place is
concerned, are not correct. In the second volume,
I have endeavoured to show that the name of
Rutherford is derived from the red colour of the
land, and the cliffs of red freestone peculiar to
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 165
that part of the river. Unfortunately for the tra-
ditions, the name is British, and must have been
imposed at a period when that race inhabited the
district. It is right, however, to mention, that there
is a British word, " Rhuthyr" which signifies " as-
sault" and assuming it to be the correct word,
Rutherford would mean the " assault ford" or the
"ford" of "assault."
To the eastward of this fort, and exactly in front
of Makerston House, is a large tumulus, or mount,
said to be an exploratory mount to Bingley Hall ;
but this view cannot be maintained. It has the ap-
pearance of an ancient mote-hill, and is popularly
known by the name of the Pleahill. A careful ex-
amination leads to the conclusion that it is partly
natural. The lower part of it seems to be one of
the sand or gravelly knowes which abound on that
part of the river, and the top composed of soil taken
from the ground around. It seems to have been
surrounded by terraces, or levels ascending above
each other, which, on the south and north, are yet
distinct. The access to the summit has been from
the east. The diameter of the top, which is level, is
about 34 feet. It may have served the purposes of
a mote, as its name would lead one to believe, but it
appears to me to have been used as a place of
strength, to protect the weak part of the Tweed at
this particular spot. As such it must have been
powerful. The minister of Roxburgh, who wrote
166 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the old statistical account* of the parish, says, that
a well of several streams issued out of its base, was
called St. John's, and from the salubrity of the water,
and remains of nice building, must have been of
great repute. It was planted with trees about the
middle of last century, but from the exposed situa-
tion, they have made but little progress ; the trees,
however, add to the picturesque appearance of the
locality. It is a conspicuous object to travellers by
load or rail.
The river, when in a very low state, may be
forded in front of Makerston Mansion ; but excepting
at that place, it cannot be forded between Euther-
ford Mill and Brochesford.-f* • At a little below Ma-
kerston, the bed of the river is composed of large
rocks, rising here and there above the water, and
among which the river rushes wildly. Before 1797,
the rock was divided into four slits, which contained
the whole water when the river was not flooded,
Two of these were 34 feet deep, and so narrow, that
a person might easily have stepped across them.
In summer, people on foot often passed the river by
stepping from one rock to the other ; but Sir Henry
Hay M'Dougall caused the middle rock to be blown
up, and thus stopped the dangerous passage. An
active person can step it at the present day, when
* Vol. xix. p. 137.
t Brochesford means, the ford at the Burn, or the Burn-
ford.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 167
the river is in a low state ; and it is said, that Kerse,
the fisher, who lived at this part of the river, stept
across with one of his children on his back. As the
river passes through these rocks it makes a loud
noise, at all times ; but at the breaking up of the
ice, the noise resembles the sea breaking upon a
rocky shore. In winter, the various fantastic shapes
made by the frost are very remarkable. Amidst
these rocks are deep pools, which whirl with great
rapidity. Great numbers of salmon frequented these
rocks, and to such an extent sixty years ago, that it
was not uncommon for three or four cart-loads of
fish being caught there in a morning.* The locality
is called Trows at the present day, evidently derived
from the British " Thor" signifying, " a perpendicu-
lar rock or height ;" changed into Tor by the Saxons,
into Tower by the English, and corrupted into
Trows by the people of the present day. The name
of Tors, then, means a number of perpendicular
rocks ; and, at the time the name was imposed on
this place, would aptly describe the bed of the river
Tweed. From a careful examination of the channel,
and the banks on each side, I am satisfied that the
Tors have at one time formed almost a complete bar
across the river, so as to flood the low-lying ground
to the south below Stodrig to the wastes of Eden-
* Old Statistical Account, vol. xix. p. 133. It is said that
Kerse the fisher knew the reason why the salmon were found
in such numbers below the Tors, and not above that place.
168 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
ham. The names of places in that direction evince
that they stood in the midst of mosses and moist
meadows, when they obtained their appellations.
Stodrig is derived from the Saxon Strodre, Strother,
signifying a moss, marsh, or any watery place, i. e.,
Strodrig, the ridge in the marsh. In like manner,
Mus-rig, the rig in the moss. On the north margin
of the Tweed, the name Strodre or Strother is used to
describe a marsh or wet meadow. In the days of
Malcolm IV., and William the Lion, the word was
in common use in the southern districts of Scot-
land.
While treating of this locality, I may refer to a
tradition of the Church of Rome, which relates, that
the body of St. Cuthbert, the saint of Tweedside,
floated down the river in a stone boat from Old
Melrose to Tillmouth. St. Cuthbert was buried in
Lindesfarne, and, on the monks being forced by the
Danes in 875 to leave the monastery, they carried the
corpse of the holy man along with them, in all their
wanderings through the north of England and in this
district of Scotland. The monks visited Norham,
Carham, and Old Melrose on the Tweed ; but after
staying there for some little time, the remains of the
saint showed the same signs of restlessness and agita-
tion as had occasioned former removals. The attend-
ants were ordered, in a vision, to pacify the impatient
spirit, to construct a boat of stone, into which they
were to place the said relics, and commit it to the
KOXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 1 69
river.* The monks formed a boat ten feet long,
three feet and a-half broad, eighteen inches deep,
and four and a-half inches thick, out of the stone of
that sacred place in which the remains of the saint
were put, launched it upon the waters of the Tweed,
and sailed down to Tillmouth, where, on a peninsula
formed by the meeting of the waters, a small chapel
was erected, called St.Cuthbert. Wherever the monks
rested in their flight with the sacred remains of the
saint, a chapel was erected in after-times, dedi-
cated to St. Cuthbert. Cavers, in Teviot, was hal-
lowed by being the temporary resting-place of the
body. About the end of last century, an attempt
was made by a peasant of Northumberland to feed
his hogs out of the boat, and also to use it for pick-
ling pork ; but the spirits of darkness broke it in
two during the night, leaving the fragments near the
chapel. The learned Hutchinson, who repeats this
strange traditional story, seems to have no doubt
that the coffin of stone floated down the Tweed, as
by some hydrostatical experiments it had been found
* " They rested him in fair Melrose :
But though alive he loved it well,
Not there his relics might repose ;
For, wondrous tale to tell,
In his stone coffin forth he rides,
A ponderous bark for river tides,
Yet light as gossamer it glides
Downward to Tillmouth cell."
— Marmion, ii. 14.
1 70 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
capable of doing, and carrying the remains of the
saint, observing that these philosophical exhibitions,
in ages of profound ignorance, were always esteemed
miracles and food for superstition. I am sceptical
as to the floating of the stone ark and the body of
the saint from Melrose to Tillmouth. I think it im-
possible ; and had Hutchinson known the Tweed as
well as I do, he would not have needed the aid of
philosophy to explain to the people that a miracle
had not been worked. The raft of wood, and coffin
of stone, could not have passed the rocks at Makers-
ton ; and all the monkish and philosophical skill in
the world could not have floated it over the Tors.
If the stone coffin sailed down the Tweed from Mel-
rose to Tillmouth, it could only be by a miracle, and
not by the aid of philosophy.
Farnindun;* Faringdune ;f Farnedan ;J Fair-
nington.§ — This Barony appears in record as early
as the 12th century, in possession of the family of
Burnard, from whom the Burnets are descended. In
1200, the monks of Melrose obtained from Richard
Burnard thirteen acres and a rood of his land of
Faringdun, adjoining the land of Simon of Far-
burne, on the east side, below the king's road which
* Circa, 1196, Reg. Glas. p. 55.
t lb. 1208, Eeg. Glas. p. 99.
X lb. 1370, Eeg. Mag. Sig.
§ lb. 1791, Valuation Books of the County of Roxburgh.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 171
led to Roxburgh. To the same monks he also
granted a right to a part of his peatry in said ter-
ritory, as bounded by great stones, with leave to them
to make a ditch of six feet in diameter, and granted
as much land and moor adjacent as was necessary
to dry the peats, with right of passage over the ter-
ritory of Faringdun, for the purpose of carting the
peats.* Between the years 1208 and 1232, Walter,
Bishop of Glasgow, obtained from Ralph Burnard a
grant of fuel from the two peatries of Faringdune,
for the house of Alncrumbe, with liberty to the
bishop's servants to select the most convenient
place for digging the peats next to the place in the
moss where he got his own peats.f The grant to
the monks of Melrose was confirmed by Alexander
II, between 1214 and 1249. Sir Richard Burnard
of Faringdune, and his steward of said barony,
Symon of Fard, appear as witnesses to a charter
granted in 1250. Two years after, the monks of
Melrose bought from Richard Burnard, for thirty-
five merks, which they paid him beforehand, the
east meadow of Fairningdun, consisting of eight
acres within the ditch, which the monks caused to
be made around the same, with free ish and entry
to the same through his land ; and in the event of
the meadow being injured through his fault, or that
of his servants, he bound himself to give them value
* Lib. de Melros, pp. 75, 76. t Reg. of Glas. pp. 99, 100.
1 72 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
out of his best and nearest meadows, at the sight
of honest men to be chosen for the purpose.* This
grant was confirmed by Alexander III. In 1296,
William, lord of the manor of Faringdun, swore
fealty to Edward I. About the middle of the 14th
century, John Burnard appears as lord of this manor. *f-
In 1372, Eobert II. granted to Wawayne a plough-
gate of land, forfeited by John Scampe, and half of
which lay in the territory of Farnyngdon.J Richard
II. claimed the whole barony of Farnyngdon as
his own property. James VI. conferred the lands
and hospital on Francis, Earl of Bothwell, which
was ratified by Parliament in 1581.§ In 1606, the
Earl of Morton was proprietor of the monklands of
Pharningtoune.|| In 1634, the lands of Fernington,
with the hospital thereof, belonged to Francis, Earl
of Buccleuch.^]" About 1647, George Rutherfurd
appears as proprietor of Fairnington.** He was a
cadet of the house of Rutherfurd of that ilk. In
1686, George Rutherfurd, younger of Fairnington,
married Barbara Hallyburton, daughter of John
Hallyburton of Newmains, by Margaret Rutherfurd
of Edgerstone. They had a son, George, born in
1691, who "proved a plague to his own family;"
* Lib. de Melrose, p. 299. t lb. p. 300.
X Reg. Mag. Sig. pp. 92, 124.
§ Acta Pari. vol. iii. pp. 225-227.
II Retours, No. 43. IT lb. 154.
** For the origin of the Rutherfurds, see vol. ii. p. 274.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 173
and slew his brother-in-law, Thomas Hellyburton of
Muirhouselaw, in the beginning of the 18th century.
The two brothers-in-law had been attending a county
meeting at Jedburgh, and in returning home,
quarrelled, it is said, about the right to a well situ-
ated upon the line of march between the estates of
Fairnington and Muirhouslaw, which join on the
north. Rutherfurd followed Hallyburton to this
spring, forced him to fight, and there slew him.
The place where this fatal encounter occurred is
popularly known as the " Bloody Well," and is on
the Muirhouselaw side of the march fence, nearly on
a line with the road leading north from the farm cot-
tages at Fairnington. After this sad event, the
family went to the West Indies. About the end of
the last century, the manor passed into the hands of
Robert Rutherfurd, fifth son of Sir John Rutherfurd
of Edgerstone, by Elizabeth Cairncross, daughter of
William Cairncross of Langlee * He was a man
universally esteemed. On the 15th October, 1777,
Catherine, Autocratrix of all the Russias, by a charter
under her own hand, conferred on him and all his
posterity and descendants, the title and dignity of a
Baron of the Russian empire, in consideration of the
peculiar services rendered by him as her agent at
* The race of the Border Kutherfurds seems to have been
singularly prolific. The couple here mentioned had 19
children ; another had 22 ; and others, 14 and 15,
174 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Leghorn and Tuscany. The manor was greatly im-
proved by the baron. He kept it in his own hands,
and cultivated and planted the lands with great skill.
No place was more distinguished for growing pota-
toes. At this time potatoes were not considered a
crop, and were only planted in small quantities
around the chief towns. The baron, in the belief
that it was the best crop for bringing in and improv-
ing the land, planted annually about 12 acres. The
produce was in some parts of the land 400 firlots per
acre, and, when sold, brought one shilling per firlot.*
Both the spiritual and temporal interests of those
who lived on the estates were attended to by the
baron. In the village, which then contained 100
souls, he established a school, paid the salary of the
teacher, granted an additional allowance for keeping
a Sunday school, where all were " instructed in
the principles of religion and morality." There were
no poor on the manor, as the baron supplied all the
wants of the families of his labourers. He afforded
them medical assistance; and inoculation of the
small-pox was successfully practised, gratis, within
the bounds of the estate.-)- At the death of this
truly estimable man, the estate went to his nephew,
John Kutherfurd of Edgerstone, at whose death, in
* lire's View of the Agriculture of Roxburghshire, pub-
lished in 1 794.
t Old Statistical Account, vol. xix. p. 127.
KOXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 175
1834, the next male heir, Charles Eutherfurd, son of
John Rutherfurd of Mossburnford * descended from
* This gentleman was born at Scarborough, in Yorkshire, in
1746. His father having died at Barbadoes, while yet an
infant, he was sent to Scotland, to the care of his grandfather,
Sir John Eutherfurd of Edgerstone. When he had attained
the age of fifteen, it was determined to send him out to New
York, to his uncle, Walter Eutherfurd, who had settled there,
and amassed a considerable fortune by commerce, besides
being proprietor of a large tract of country, which still bears
his name, " Eutherford County." Soon after his arrival in
America, he was sent by his uncle to Fort Detroit, in charge
of military stores, with supplies for the garrison ; and having
executed his commission, was about to return to New York,
when he was prevailed upon to accompany an exploring party
to the Lakes, which set out on May 2, 1763, under command
of Captain Eobson of the 77th Eegiment. Sir Eobert Dan-
vers also accompanied the expedition. The object of it was
to ascertain whether the lakes and rivers between Detroit and
Michellematana were navigable for vessels of a greater bur-
den than the small batteaux then made use of. Whilst
sounding about the mouth of the river Huron, they were sur-
prised by a large party of Indians, and Captain Eobson, Sir
Eobert Danvers, and a number of the party killed. Mr.
Eutherfurd and several others were taken captive, and re-
mained for some months with the Indians, when he made his
escape, and, after a perilous flight, reached Detroit. He wrote
a very interesting narrative of his captivity and hairbreadth
escapes, a MS. of which is in my possession. He afterwards
joined the 42nd Eegiment, in which corps he obtained an
ensigncy at a time when they were preparing an expedition
against the Shawnessee and Delaware Indians, to the west-
ward, under the command of General Bouquet. In that regi-
ment he served thirty years, during which time he was
engaged in both American wars. On quitting the army, he
176 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Thomas Rutherfurd, the immediate elder brother of
Baron Rutherfurd, succeeded to the barony. It is
now possessed by Thomas Rutherfurd, brother of the
said Charles, lineally descended from the Rutherfurds
of that ilk. He married Caroline Sanderson Ball,
daughter of William Ball and Lydia Wivell, Lon-
don; and had issue, 13 children, of whom 12 are alive.
The mansion is pleasantly situated on the right
bank of a rivulet, running in an easterly direction.
There are a few old trees in the park; but the
greater part of the wood was planted by Baron
Rutherfurd, of which the fir is said to be of excel-
lent quality. On the west end of the estate, near
to the Watling-street, is Downlaw, or Dunlaw, a
round eminence of several hundred feet high, on the
summit of which are the ruins of an observatory or
summer residence, built by the baron, where he spent
much of his time.* The view from this spot is ex-
tensive and beautiful. About a hundred yards to
the west of the Watling-street, on the summit of a
ridge, is a stone column, about twelve feet in cir-
retired to his estate of Mossburnford, on the right bank of the
Jed. At this place the poet Burns enjoyed the hospitality of
the old soldier, in June, 1787. At a subsequent period, he
was appointed Major of the Dumfries Militia, under the com-
mand of the Earl of Dalkeith. He died at Jedburgh, on 12th
July, 1830, in the 84th year of his age.
* This building is popularly known by the name of the
" Baron's Folly." He had no doubt selected this place on
account of its beautiful prospect.
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 177
cumference, and five feet high, called the Stanan
Stane. It is upon the farm of Heriotsfield, on the
estate of Ancrum, and, taking every circumstance
into consideration, it seems probable that this place
was the scene of the battle of Ancrum Moor, and
the fair maid Lilliard's exploits. The ground further
to the north, where the modern stone stands, cannot
be made to suit the description given of the battle-
field by ancient chroniclers, but the locality of the
Stanan Stane answers in every respect. A field to
the east of Fairnington village is called Harlaw,
from a circle of large stones which stood within it,
but which have been removed to serve farm purposes.
The old road from Jedfoot to Maxton and Eutherfurd
ran through the middle of the estate. Traces of an
old ditch, referred to in the charters of the 13th
century, as the boundary between Maxton and Rox-
burgh parishes, may still be seen where the two
estates of Muirhouselaw and Fairnington join.
The Chapel or Hospital of Fairnington stood on
the right bank of the rivulet, near to the mansion.
The exact site of it may be found on a careful exa-
mination of the ground. It existed as the property
of the Bishop of Glasgow before 1186. At that
period, Pope Urban III. confirmed the chapel of
Fairnindun, with pertinents thereof, to the bishop *
About 1200, Allan the chaplain was witness to a
* Reg. of Glasg. p. 55.
VOL. III. N
1 78 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
charter of Roger Burnard, the son of Fairnindun.*
A charter of Ralph Burnard, son and heir of Roger,
to the house of Alnecrombe, is witnessed by Pauli-
nus, the chaplain of Faringdun.-)- In 1476, Duncan
of Dundas was curate to William Mateland of Leth-
ington, of the chapel of Fairnmgtoune.J At this
chapel, the arbiters, in a dispute between the laird
of Makerstoun and Nicholl Ormiston, in 1493, were
appointed by the Lords of Council to meet.§ The
hospital of Fermington was granted by James VI.,
and ratified by Parliament in 1585. In 1634, it
was the property of the Earl of Buccleuch. In 1656,
Andrew Ker was owner of the lands pertaining to
the hospital of Fairnington, with common of pastur-
age, and liberty to dig peats in the moss. The hos-
pital lands form now a part of the estate of Fair-
nington.
MACCHUSWEL ; MACCUSWELL ; MACKESWEL ; ||
Maccusvtlle;^]" Maxwell; Maxweille.** — The
first time this territory appears on record, is in the
days of David I., by whom it was granted to an at-
tached follower of the name of Maccus. He is a
witness to the Inquisitio Davidis, in 1116, and is
* Lib. de Melros, p. 75. t Reg. of Glas. pp. 99, 100.
I Act. Dom. Aud. p. 44. § lb. p. 312, supra, p. 146.
|| Circa, 1159, 1300; Lib. de Calchou, pp. 176, 316, 470;
Chron. de Mailros, pp. 154, 319 ; Eeg. of Glas. p. 102.
II Circa, 1200. ** Circa, 1354; Lib. de Calchou, p. 382.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. ] 79
in that document styled, " Maccus Filius Und-
weyn."* He built a town, church, and mill, and
called the whole territory after his own name, Mac-
cuswel It is said by Chalmers, that wel is a cor-
ruption of vil, and that the name denotes the ville,
or dwelling, of Maccus; but the earliest form in
which the name appears, terminates in the Saxon
wel, and the Norman ville, so far as I am aware, is
only seen in a charter of William the Lion, granting
to Robert, the son of Maccus, that part of Lessudden,
in Roxburghshire, which was comprehended in the
barony of Maccusm'We, and which had formerly be-
longed to Herbert Maccus ville, the sheriff of Roxburgh-
shire.-)- The barony is situated between the rivers
Teviot and Tweed, and was co-extensive with the
parish of the same name, now united to Kelso.
Edmund Liulphus and Robert, said to be the sons
of Maccus, witnessed several charters of David L,
Malcolm IV., and William the Lion.j Between
1159 and 1180, Herbert of Maccusville was sheriff'
of Teviotdale, and his son, John, filled the same
office. He was also chamberlain to Alexander II. ||
Between 1258 and 1266, Aymer of Makuswell was
sheriff of Dumfries, justiciar of Galloway, and
* Reg. of Glas. p. 5 .
t Charter quoted in Burke's Peerage, p. 668.
X Lib. de Calchou, p. 145 ; Lib. de Mailros, pp. 56, 57, 141,
|| Lib. de Calchou, p. 309. He was buried in Melrose in
1241.— Chron. de Mail. p. 206,
180 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
chamberlain to Alexander III. He acquired lands
in the shires of Kenfrew and Dumfries. In 1290,
Herbert of Maccuswel was appointed one of the
commissioners to treat with Edward I., in regard to
a marriage between his son and the heiress of the
crown of Scotland* In 1292, he was named by
John Baliol, to maintain his claim to the crown of
Scotland, f In 1296, Herbert swore fealty to Ed-
ward I at Montrose. J In the same year, John, his
son, took the same oath to the usurper. Eustace of
Maxwell was celebrated for his defence of Caer-
laveroch Castle against the English. He was one of
the conservators of truce with the English in 1336.§
At the battle of Nevilles Cross, his brother John was
taken prisoner, and committed to the tower of Lon-
don. In 1 343, Herbert had a safe-conduct to Lon-
don, and John was one of those appointed to treat
as to the liberation of David Bruce. In 1374,
Eobert of Maxwell got a safe-conduct from Edward
III., to visit the tomb of St. Thomas of Canterbury.
Richard II. granted to the same Eobert, a safe-con-
duct to England; and in 1414, Henry V. granted
him leave to enter England. In 1471, John, the son
and heir of Eobert of Maxwell, received a grant of
the baronies of Maxwell and Caerlaveroch, and of the
lands of Mearns.ll In 1484, John, lord Maxwell,
* Rymer's Fcedera, vol. i. P. Ill, p. 66. t lb. p. 98.
I Ragman's Rolls, p. 87. § Rotuli Scotia?, vol. i. p. 397.
|| Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. viii. No. 74.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 181
was keeper of the Western Marches. Four years
after, he got a safe-conduct from Henry VIIL* In
1491, John, lord Maxwell, and his wife, Agnes
Stewart, possessed the lands of Wodden, and the
lands of St. Thomas' Chapel, in conjunct fee and life-
rent. In 1534, a charter was granted to Kobert,
lord Maxwell, of the baronies of Maxwell and Caer-
laveroch.f In 1548, Eobert, lord Maxwell, in pre-
sence of the Governor and the Lords of Articles, gave
in a writing to be passed into a statute, to the effect
that, " it shall be lawful to all our sovereign lady's
lieges, to have the Holy Writ, both the New Testa-
ment and the Old, in the vulgar tongue, in English
or Scots, of a good and true translation, and that
they shall incur no crime for the having or the
reading of the same," which was agreed to, as there
was no law " to the contrary;" the Archbishop of
Glasgow, for himself, and in name and behalf of the
prelates of the realm, dissenting. J In 1550, Robert,
lord Maxwell, was served heir to his father, and the
said Robert Maxwell, of the barony of Maxwell and
Caerlaveroch. John, lord Maxwell, obtained a grant
of the Earldom of Morton, in 1 581, after the execu-
tion of Regent Morton, his grandfather, but which
reverted to the lawful heir of the Regent, on the
attainder being rescinded by Parliament in 1585.
* Kotuli Scotia, vol. ii. 1488.
t Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xxv. No. 145.
X Acta Pari. P. 11, p. 415, No. 12.
1 82 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
111 1581, John, earl of Morton, lord Maxwell, ap-
peared before Parliament, and protested that he
had a right to hold the lands of Pendiclehill, Wester
Wooden, St. Thomas's Chapel, the half of the haugh,
the half mill of Maxwell, with their pertinents lying
within the barony and lordship of Maxwell, belong-
ing to the said earl, free of any claims, at the in-
stance of Sir Thomas Ker of Ferniehirst, Thomas
Ker of Cavers, and Adam Turnbull of Billerwell,
which protestation the King, with advice of Parlia-
ment, admitted.* In 1593, Lord Maxwell was
killed in a battle with the clan Johnstones in Anan-
dale. Spottiswoode says, that he was a nobleman
of great spirit, humane, courteous, and more learned
than noblemen generally were in these times. John,
lord Maxwell, his eldest son, succeeded, and being
of a vindictive spirit, put to death Sir James John-
stone of that ilk, in revenge for the slaughter of his
father by the Johnstones. He escaped to France,
where he remained five years. On his return in
1 613, he was arrested, and immediately tried for the
slaughter of Johnstone, and for fire-raising, for
which he was attainted, condemned, and executed.
In 1617, his forfeiture was reversed, and as he left
no issue, his estates and honours were restored to
his brother Eobert. In 1619, Robert was served
heir to his brother John, of the barony of Maxwell.-f-
* Acta Pari. vol. iii. p. 282. [t Retours, No. 98.
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 183
He was created Earl of Nithsdale in 1620. The
earls of Nithsdale were strongly attached to the
royal family during the civil war. Kobert, his son,
the second earl, was imprisoned by the Parliament
in 1646. Before 1663, the lands were in possession
of Sir Andrew Ker of Greenhead. In 1 676, William,
lord Ker, was served heir of his brother, Sir Andrew
Ker, of Greenhead, inter alia, of "the lands of
Maxwellheugh, with the half of the valley, or haugh,
called " Maxwellhaugk," with half of the mills; the
lands of Wodin, in the barony of Maxwell ; the lands
called St. Thomas Chapel, half of the lands of Max-
wellhauch, with meadows ; half of the mills of Max-
wellheueh, half of the multures and lordship of
Maxwellfield, and lands of Brigend ; portions of the
town and lands of Heiton ; the town and lands of
Softlaw and fishings*
In 1750, the estate of Bridgend, comprehending
a great part of the barony of Maxwell, was pur-
chased by James Douglas, a naval officer, from Sir
William Ker of Greenhead. He was the second son
of George Douglas of Friarshaw, in the parish of
Bowden, whose predecessors had possessed the estate
since the middle of the 16th century, when they
branched off from the family of Douglas of Cavers.
He was captain of the ship Alcide, which brought
over Colonel Hale, with an account of the victory
* Ketours, No. 270.
1 84 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and surrender of Quebec in 1759. The news created
the greatest joy among the populace ; and the king
expressed his satisfaction by conferring the honour
of knighthood on Captain Douglas, and gratified
him and Colonel Hale with considerable presents.
In 1761, Sir James commanded in the Leeward
Islands, took Dominica, and had a broad pendant
at the siege of Martinique in the same year. In
June 27, 1 786, he was created a baronet, as a re-
ward for his gallant services rendered to the country.
He married, first, Helen, daughter of Sir Thomas Bris-
bane, and by her had two sons, George and James.
He died in 1787. Sir George, who was born in
1754, succeeded, and married Elizabeth, daughter
of David, earl of Glasgow, by whom he left an only
son, John James, who married, in 1822, Hannah
Charlotte, only daughter and heiress of Henry Scott
of Belford, on the Bowmont Water, and in conse-
quence assumed the name of Scott by sign-manual,
in addition to that of Douglas* By this lady he
had one son and three daughters. Sir John James
Douglas was a captain in the 34th Hussars, and
served at Waterloo, for which he got a medal. He
was succeeded, in 1836, by his only son, George
Henry Scott Douglas, born June 19, 1825. Sir
George was a captain in the 34th Eegiment, and
* This lady was descended from the ancient family of
Scots of Horsliehill in Teviotdale.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 185
married, in 1851, Maria Juana Petronella, eldest
daughter of Senor Don Francisco Sanehes Senano
di Pena, of Gibraltar, and has issue, three children.
The old mansion of Brigend stood in the haugh,
where two silver-trees grow, and near to the old ford
in the Teviot. From the place being called Brigend
before 1545, it may be inferred that the river was
crossed by a bridge at this place. The name could
not refer to a bridge over the Tweed, as no bridge
existed over that river till 1754 The Brigend was
destroyed by Hertford in 1 545 * In 1718, the house
was burned by accident while it belonged to Sir
Andrew Ker of Greenhead. Timothy Pont places
a tower at the confluence of the two rivers, which
probably was the original stronghold of the Max-
wells.-)- The mill stood, within the memory of man,
a little farther up the river Teviot.
On the family of Douglas acquiring the property,
the old house was taken down, the present elegant
mansion built in 1756, and the name changed to
Springwood Park. The archway was designed by
Gillespie Grahame, and erected by Sir John James
Scott Douglas in 1822. The house occupies a very
* Hayne's Statistical Papers, p. 53. May not this place be the
Berton of King Robert's Charter ? Robert the Bruce granted
to Hugh de la Vikers the lands and villages of Roxburgh,
Berton, and Maxwell, which had belonged to Ade Mindrum
and William Dalton. — Robertson's Index, p. 5.
t Blaeu's Atlas.
186 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
lovely situation on the right bank of the Teviot,
nearly opposite to the ruins of Roxburgh Castle.
At this place the ground begins to rise, and gradu-
ally increases in height till it reaches Maxwellheugh,
when it becomes the south bank of the river Tweed.
On the north of this bank is an extensive haugh,
bounded by the rivers Teviot and Tweed. From
the house, several fine views are obtained. On the
north are the ruins of Roxburgh ; and beyond, the
palace and dark woods of Floors ; while looking east-
ward, Kelso and its ruined abbey forms a lovely pic-
ture. Although the woods are comparatively young,
there are a number of fine trees in the park. It is in-
teresting to notice a wych elm growing at the side of
the easter approach, measuring five feet nine inches
at the ground. This tree is a slip from the celebrated
trysting tree, which grew at Friars, and was planted
by James White, forester. An elm near the Teviot
lodge is 13 feet 7 inches in girth; another tree of the
same kind near the garden, 14 feet 11 inches. A
plane-tree, near the same place, measures 14 feet 4
inches. A crab-tree in the chapel park, at two feet
from the ground, measures 10 feet 8 inches, and
rises 40 feet high. A poplar at Maxwellheugh is
92 feet high; the height of the main stem is 26 feet
6 inches; its girth at the ground measured, in 1828,
31 feet 8 inches; in 1859, 32 feet 6 inches; the
smallest girth of the stem measured, in 1828, 16
feet 10 inches; in 1859, 18 feet 8 inches. At the
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 187
height of 12 feet, 19 feet 6 inches in 1828; and at
the present day, it measures 24 feet. It contains
above 760 feet of wood, and is worth about
£63, 6s. 8d.
Higher up the river Teviot stood the Maisondieu,
or Hospital of Roxburgh, for the reception of pil-
grims, the diseased, and the indigent — every stone
of which has been removed: the very foundations
have been digged out. It is said by Morton, that
garden flowers run wild mark the spot of its garden ;
but a farm onstead having once occupied the site of
the hospital, it is impossible to say whether the
flowers to be seen in the locality indicate the garden
of the Maisondieu or that of the farmhouse.*
Near to the hospital there are very distinct traces
of a mill and dam-dyke across the Teviot. It is said
that this was the mill of Old Roxburgh, but there
is no information existing to enable any one to fix
with any degree of certainty the name of this mill.
The village of Maxwellheugh is situated at the
summit of the right bank of the Tweed. It is doubt-
ful whether this was the ancient town of the barony
of Maxwell, as it is clear that another town in the
haugh existed near to the present mill. It is, how-
ever, certain that the Earl of Morton had a house at
this place before 1581, and it may be presumed to
have been at the chief town of the barony. The
* Vol. ii. p. 76.
188 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
site of the old town is said to have been in the field
lying between the present village and Pinnaclehill,
and the appearance of the ground would warrant
the belief that considerable buildings have existed at
that place. Within the grounds of Pinnaclehill,
close to the entrance gate, is a considerable tumulus,
which might, without any stretch of imagination, be
held to be the motehill of Maccus, the original set-
tler. The tumulus is about 35 feet high, having a
slope of about 33 yards. Maxwellheugh is in the
list of places destroyed by Hertford in his wasteful
inroad of 1545. Prom the top of the cliff forming
the bank of the Tweed, but especially on the
summit of the ridge to the west of the village,
extensive views are obtained of scenery unrivalled
in the Border land. Many of the houses are old,
but the proprietor, Sir George Douglas, is in the
course of taking all the mean houses down, and
building in their stead tasteful and commodious
cottages.
The lands of Softlaw formed a part of the barony
of Maxwell. In 1296, these lands were possessed by
Adam de Softlawe. In the 14th century, a family
of Sadler was proprietor of Softlaw. In 1354,
Robert Sadler gave to Roger of Auldton, Wester
Softlaw, with the privilege of grinding corn at the
mill of Softlaw " roumfre," on condition of giving
annually, at the feast of St. John the Baptist at
Maxwell, the head mansion of the lord, the fee of a
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 189
pair of gold spurs, or 12 pence sterling.* John, the
lord of Maxwell, when he confirmed the grant, did
so without the condition. Eoger of Auldton con-
ferred the lands on the church of St. James at
Koxburgh, for the support of a chantry and the
minister thereof. This grant was confirmed by
David II., Edward III., and William, bishop of
Glasgow. In 1374 the lands of Softlaw were
granted by Kobert II. to John of Maxwell, forfeited
by William Stewart. Kichard II. granted the towns
of Maxwell and Softlaw to Eichard Horslie. In
1534, Elizabeth Eallaw, one of the heirs, wife of
John Bredin, Selkirk, sold to Andrew Ker of
Primsydloch her half of the lands of Softlaw. In
the seventeenth century the lands passed into the
families of Ker and Kene.-f-
The church of Maccuswel was situated in the
haugh near to the junction of the rivers Teviot and
Tweed. It was dedicated to St. Michael. Before
1159, Herbert of Maccuswel, sheriff of Teviotdale,
granted the church to the monks of Kelso. The
grant was confirmed by Malcolm IV., in 1159 ; by
Jocelin, bishop of Glasgow, in 1180; by William
the Lion, before 1199; and in 1232, by Walter,
bishop of Glasgow.^: The church was held, in
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 302.
t Ketours.
t Lib. de Calchou, pp. vi. Ill, 316, 319, 229.
190 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
rectoria, by the monks, and was estimated at
£\\, 16s. 8d. yearly.
The graveyard of the church is marked by a clump
of trees in the haugh near to the mill. There are
still a few tombstones sufficiently legible to tell the
names of those who rest in this sacred spot, but the
inscriptions on many of the stones have been de-
faced, and no doubt numbers carried away. The
oldest inscription that I could read is on a stone
raised to a family of the name of Cadonhead, and
dated 1680. Another bears the name of Kefal,
dated 1692. One, Waugh of Windy wals, was buried
in 1703, and the latest inscription is on a stone
erected to a family of Broomfields in 1748. This
little graveyard is now carefully preserved.
When Herbert the Sheriff gave the church of the
territory to the monks, he erected an oratory within
his court of Maccuswel, dedicated to St. Thomas the
Martyr, and which he appended to the gift to the
monks with a toft. Considerable diversity of opi-
nion exists as to the site of this chapel. In Sto-
bie's old map, it is marked to the south of the
present mansion, in a field still called St. Thomas'
Lands, near to the Maisondieu. The writer of the
New Statistical Account follows Stobie, and conjec-
tures the site to have been at the place pointed out
by the chorographer. On the other hand, Morton
states that it stood at Harlaiu, near to the head of
Woodenburn, about a mile from Maxwell, and that
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. ]91
stone coffins have been found on the spot supposed to
have been the cemetery of the chapel, but no autho-
rity is given for the statement* There can be little
doubt of the toft which Herbert annexed to the
chapel being correctly marked by Stobie, as the
name has been continued till the present day ; still
it does not follow that the chapel was planted there
by the Sheriff. In the grant by Edward III. to
Sampson Hauberger, of the chapel of St. Thomas, in
November, 1361, it is described as in Maxwell, oppo-
site to Roxburgh. -f- Next year, the same king
granted the chapel to St. Thomas of Middleton, which
he calls of Maxwell, and as standing opposite or near
to Roxburgh. | In the list of places given by Hert-
ford as destroyed by him in 1545, "St. Thomas'
Chapel" is placed between Brigend and Maxwell-
heugh. But may not the name of Pendicill not
fix the site of the chapel, which was a pendicle to
the church of Maccuswell? A number of chapels
granted under similar circumstances are called pen-
diciles, which signifies the chapel appended to the
Mother Church. If this view be correct, then the
site of the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr must be
looked for near to the little law or tumulus at the
entrance gate to Pinnaclehill — a corruption of Pen-
* Monastic Annals, p. 110, Note.
t Eotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 857.
X lb. p. 865.
1 92 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
dicillhill* The grant of this chapel and toft was
confirmed by Bishop Josceline in 1180, and by
William the Lion. In 1232, Walter, bishop of
Glasgow, confirmed the grant at Alnecrum, and Pope
Innocent IV. before 1254. At the time the grant
was confirmed by the bishop, an agreement was
entered into between the lepers of Alnecrnm and the
monks, that the latter should hold it in connexion with
their church of Maccuswil.-)- As already seen, when
the territory was in the hands of Edward III, he
presented Sampson Hauberger and Thomas cle Mid-
dleton to the chapel of St. Thomas of Maxwell, j
Speoston; Sprouisdone; Sprouiston; Sprous-
stone ; Sprouston. — The name of this place is first
seen in the foundation charter of David, Prince of
Cumberland, to the monks of Selkirk, in 1114. The
origin of the name cannot be traced with any degree
of certainty. Chalmers conjectures that the territory
" may have derived its singular name from some per-
son called Sprous, who cannot now be traced, whose
tun or dwelling it may have been. The same name
may, however, be derived from the qualities of the place.
Sprus, in the Cornish speech, signifies grain, and
seems to be connected with the Saxon Sprote; and
* In former times, the entire farm was known as Wester
Wooden. Pendicill appears in the 13th century,
t Lib. de Calchou, pp. 229, 316, eta
+ Botuli Scotise, vol. i. pp. 857, 865.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 193
hence Spruston, or Sproteton, may denote, the place
fruitful in grain."* I think the conjecture, that the
name denotes a place fruitful in grain, is untenable.
It occurs to me that the name may be derived from
Sprossen^ signifying to shoot out, descriptive of the
shape of the territory. The manor of Sprouston was
the property of Earl David, and remained in the
hands of the Crown till about 1193, when it was
granted by William the Lion to Sir Eustace de Vescy,
on his marriage with Margaret, the bastard daughter
of that king by a daughter of Sir Adam Hutchinson.
It seems to have included all the parish, with the
exception of Redden and Haddon. Eustace de Vescy
was the possessor of the barony of Alnwick and
Malton, in Northumberland. He was the great-
grandson of Ivo de Vescy, one of the followers of
William the Conqueror, who gave to him in mar-
riage Alda, daughter of William Tyson, proprietor of
the barony of Alnwick, and who fell at the battle of
Hastings in defence of his king. The issue of this
marriage was an only daughter, Beatrix, who carried
Alnwick, Malton, and other possessions, to Eustace
St. John, the one-eyed lord of Knaresburgh, in York-
shire, who, with consent of his wife, founded the
abbeys of Alnwick and Malton. The issue of this
marriage was William, who assumed to himself and
posterity the surname and arms of De Vescy. About
* Caledonia, vol. ii. p. 191.
VOL. III. 0
] 94 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
1150, he witnessed a grant by Robert, bishop of St.
Andrews, of the church of Lohworuora, to Herbert,
bishop of Glasgow.* He was Sheriff of Northum-
berland from 1154 to 1158.-)- He married Burga,
the daughter of Robert Esto Hevil, and by her had
Eustace de Vescy, who became Baron of Alnwick,
Malton, and Sprouston. In 1207, Eustace and Mar-
garet his wife confirmed to the monks of Kelso all
their possessions, rights, and liberties, within the
barony, and compounded the tithes of the mill of
Sprouston by an annual payment of twenty shillings
for lights to the church of Kelso, to be paid by the
tenant of the mill, at two terms in the year, Martin-
mas and Whitsunday, on condition that the monks
would receive him and his wife and their heirs into
the society of the House, and absolve the souls of
his father and mother, and make them partakers of
all the spiritual privileges of the monastery for
ever.J In the same year, the monks granted leave
to Eustace and his wife to erect a chapel in their
court of Sprouston, where they might hear divine
service, provided that the priest should obey the
abbot and convent of Kelso, and the mother church
should not be injured to the amount of fourpence
yearly; that the chaplain of the mother church
* Keg. of Glas., p. 13.
t Hutchinson's Northumberland, voL ii. p. 452.
X Lib. de Calchou, pp. 172, 173.
KOXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 195
should receive all the offerings of the lord of the
manor and parishioners of the district, whether their
master should be present or not, and also of all the
guests there, so long as the master and mistress were
present, except those who resided in the parish.*
In 1212, being accused of a conspiracy against the
life of the king, Eustace de Vescy took refuge in
Scotland. In 1216, he did homage to his brother-
in-law Alexander II., which so displeased King John,
that he marched into the north with a large army,
and destroyed Felton, Mitford, Morpeth, Alnwick,
Wark, and Eoxburgh. Whilst John made his waste-
ful inroad into Northumberland, Eustace de Vescy,
with Alexander II., entered England, and proceeded
as far as Bernard Castle, the seat of the Baliol family
in the county of Durham, to which they laid siege ;
and Eustace, approaching too near the fortress, with
the view of planning an assault, was killed by an
arrow from one of the outposts. His son William
succeeded to the great possessions of his father.
He married Isabel, daughter of the Earl of Salis-
bury, but had no issue: afterwards, he married
Agnes, a daughter of the Earl of Derby, and had by
her John de Vescy, who, dying without issue, was
succeeded by his brother William de Vescy, who
died in 1297, without leaving any legitimate children.
It was this William de Vescy who gave in a claim
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 172.
196 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
to the crown of Scotland in 1292. He was the last
Baron de Vescy. On the death of William de
Vescy, King Edward issued a command that the
lands and tenements in Scotland held in dowry by
Isabella, the wife of John de Vescy, and all the land
and tenements assigned to Clemence, the wife of
John, the son of William de Vescy, who had been
seised in these lands on the death of said William de
Vescy, should be restored.* Robert Bruce conferred
the barony on his son Robert I.-f David II. granted
the barony of Sprouston, before 1371, to Thomas
Murray, and afterwards to Maurice Murray, j In
1402, Henry IV. conferred the barony on Henry
Percy, earl of Northumberland. In 1451, the
barony of Sprouston was given to William, earl of
Douglas.§ In 1591, the lands of Sprouston were
given to Sir Robert Kerr of Cessford. In 1629,
Lord John Cranston was served heir to his father
William, lord Cranston, of the lands of Sprouston,
and of the office of baillie of the whole regality. In
1644, Henry, lord Ker, and his wife received a
grant of the demesne lands of Sprouston. In 1675,
Robert, earl of Roxburgh, was served heir to his
father William, earl of Roxburgh, in the town and
* Eotuli Scotise, vol. i. pp. 45, 46.
t Robertson's Index, p. 12, No. 62.
X lb. p. 45, No. 17, p. 54, No. 3.
§ Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. iv. No. 148.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 197
demesne lands of Sprouston.* Within the barony of
Sprouston, a number of persons held lands as vassals
of the lord of the manor. At the end of the war of
independence, King Robert I. bestowed the twenty-
pound lands of Sprouston on William Franceis, for-
feited by persons of the names of William Rict,
Henry Drawer, Thomas Alkoats, John, Thomas, and
William, the sons of Allan and Hugh Limpitlaw.
The same king also gave to Aymer of Hauden eleven
husbandlands of Sprouston, extending to twenty-
merk lands, which Robert Sprouston and others for-
feited by serving the English king during the war.
The monks of Kelso possessed considerable pro-
perty in Sprouston. Before David ascended the
throne, he conferred on the monks of Selkirk a
ploughgate of land in Sproston, and ten acres of
arable land and a measure pertaining to a plough-
gate, -f* After he became king, he added three acres
of meadowland, the pastures of Sprouston, and moor
for making turf. Malcolm IV. granted, in 1159,
two oxgangs of lands near Prestrebridge in said
territory, in exchange for two oxgangs in Berwick.
In 1165, Serlo, the king's clerk, granted the monks
half a ploughgate in the territory of Sprouston.
Ralph de Veir, or Weir, during the reign of William
the Lion, gave to the monks an oxgang of land next
to the lands of his man Umford. About 1300,
* Retours. t Lib. de Calchou, pp. 4, 5.
1 98 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
they had in Sprouston two ploughgates, with right
of common pasture for 12 oxen, 4 work horses, and
300 year-old lambs. An oxgang of land held by
Hugh Cay yielded them ten shillings yearly. They
had also six cottages, one of which, near the vicar's
house, had abrewhouse and six acres of land attached,
let for six shillings yearly ; the other five, which lay
at the other extremity of the village called Latham,
had each an acre and a-half, and let each for six
shillings and six days' work in the year.
David I. granted to the monks of Kelso the
church of Sprouston, which was confirmed by John,
bishop of Glasgow; by Bishop Josceline, in 1180 ; by
Bishop Walter, in 1232; and by Pope Innocent IV.
before 1254. The grant was also confirmed by
William the Lion. The church was dedicated to
St. Michael. The present church was built in 1781.
The village of Sprouston is situated about 200
yards south of the Tweed, and consists of about 100
cottages. It was at one time of considerable extent,
and defended by a strong tower. In 1790, there
were 30 weavers in the town. The locality is re-
markable for the advanced age of many of its inha-
bitants. About 1790, a number of persons were
living from 70 to 100 years old. There is here a
ferry on the Tweed.
The priory of Charterhouse possessed half of the
Midtown and Mains of Sprouston, which are now
the property of the Duke of Eoxburgh.
EOXBUEGHSHIEE, ETC. 199
In 1256, the king and queen of England, accom-
panied by a numerous retinue of knights, earls, and
barons, took up their residence for some days at
Sprouston, till their son-in-law, Alexander, king of
Scotland, and his nobles, prepared and delivered a
deed into the hands of the English king, for the
peace and government of Scotland. In 1418, the
town was destroyed by Sir Eobert Umfraville. In
1522, it was burned by Ross and Dacre. In the
same year, it was burned by the Duke of Norfolk's
army, in its progress up the Tweed. Two years
after, it shared the fate of other towns and villages,
in an inroad by Sir Ralph Eurie. It was again
destroyed by the Earl of Hertford in 1545.
The lands of Easter Softlaw were, before 1514,
possessed by Elizabeth Eawlay. At that date they
were granted to Thomas Ramsay, with the office of
common sergeant of the county of Roxburgh.
Reveden; Redden. — This territory lies to the
east of Sprouston, and before 1140 was mostly in
the hands of the king. At that time King David I.
granted the domain to the monks of Kelso, with
rights of water, pasture, and peatry, excepting a
ploughgate, which belonged to the hospital of Rox-
burgh* This grant was confirmed by William the
Lion. In 1210, the monks got from Bernard of
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 297.
200 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Hauden, the mill of Eedden, with its pond, part of
the meadow lying near the rivulet, which of old
formed the boundary between Haudon and Redden.
In 1258, John of Redden appeared in the abbot's
court at Ettrick Bridge, and resigned to the monks
a place called Floris, in the territory of Redden,
admitting at the time that the lands belonged to the
convent, and that he had long unjustly kept them
out of it. The monks purchased from Hugh, his
son, all the lands held by him and his ancestors in
the towns of Redden and Home. In the year 1300
the monks had the grange of Redden, with the town,
which they laboured with five ploughs. In the
grange they kept 24 score of ewes, and cattle in pro-
portion. They had also eight husbandlands and a
ploughgate let to tenants, for which services were
rendered by the respective occupants. In summer,
each husbandman was bound to go to Berwick,
weekly, with one horse cart, carrying three bolls of
corn, and returning either with three bolls of salt or
one and a half firlots of coals ; in winter, two bolls of
corn, and returning with one and a half bolls of salt
or one boll and a firlot of coals. The husbandman
who did not go to Berwick gave two days' work in
summer and three in autumn. The stock of the
farm was steelbow, and consisted of two oxen and a
horse, three chalders of oats, six bolls of barley, and
three bolls of wheat. The mill of Redden rented for
nine merks yearly. Two brew-houses rented at two
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 201
merks yearly. The monks had nineteen cottages at
Redden, eighteen of which rented for 12 pence
yearly, six days' labour in autumn, with their
victuals. The cottagers also assisted at the shearing
of the sheep of the grange. The nineteenth cottage
rented for 18 pence and nine days' labour. David
II. erected Kelso, Bolden, and Redden into a regality
in favour of the monks, with exclusive jurisdiction.
Robert III. confirmed the grant.
The territory of Redden passed to a family of
Kene at the Reformation. In 1609, the lands were
held by Richard Kene. In 1634, Mary Ker, Lady
Carnegie, succeeded to a third part of the lands as
heiress of her brother the Master of Roxburgh. In
1675, Redden was the property of Robert, Earl of
Roxburghe. Andrew Ker of Greenhead possessed,
about the same time, the lands of Thankless.
In the New Statistical Account, Origines Parochi-
ales, and other works, it is mistakenly stated that
Reddenburn in this territory was one of the places
where commissioners met to settle Border disputes.
The court met at Reuedenburne, one of the upper
sources of the Jed. It is called Jedwart Overbourne*
Hauden ; Hawden ; Hadden. — This manor was
granted by William the Lion to Bernard, the son
of Brian, an Anglo-Norman, who assumed Hauden
* Acta Pari., yoI. i p. 84.
202 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
as his surname. He witnessed many charters of
King William the Lion and Alexander II* Ralph,
Peter, Sir Almyer, and William of Hawden, witness
many charters of Alexander II. and Alexander Ill.-f-
Before 1211, Bernard of Hawden, nephew of the
first Bernard, was sheriff of Roxburgh. In 1281,
William Sulis, the sheriff of Roxburgh, paid Ralph
of Haudin eighteen pounds for himself and his men,
for losses sustained by the English, from his lands
lying on the marches near Reddenburn. In 1292,
Edward I. commanded John Twynham, tacksman of
the customs of Dumfries, to pay the same sum to
Ralph of Hauden, for loss sustained by English
inroads, and which it was his wont to receive from
the kings of Scotland. £ Bernard was lord of
Hawden in 1354§ In 1357, Edward III. gave
Peter Tempest the manor of Haudin, because the
lord thereof had adhered to his enemies of Scotland. ||
In 1407, John of Haudene received a grant of
the lands of Hawdene, Yetholm, and Brochton.^[
William of Hawden possessed the barony in 1523.
In 1624, John Halden was possessed of the 20-
pound lands of his barony of Hauden. The lands
are now the property of 'Sir William Elliot of Stobs
* Lib. de Calchou ; Lib. of Mail. ; Reg. Glas. t lb.
X Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 13.
§ Lib. de Calchou, p. 337.
|| Eotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 817.
IT Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 238, No. 39.
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 203
and Wells. The monks of Kelso had a ploughgate
of land in Hawden, before Bernard obtained a grant
of the territory from William the Lion. This land
was confirmed to them by Bernard, who added to it
a toft free from all services and customs. In 1170,
he gave them ten acres on the west side of the
village. When his nephew Bernard confirmed these
gifts during the reign of William the Lion, he added
eight acres and a rood which lay contiguous to their
property on both sides of the road to Carram,
between the two fountains called Blindwelle and
Croc. In return for these gifts the monks granted
leave to Bernard to have a private chapel at Haw-
den, where he and his guests might hear divine ser-
vice all the days of the year except on Christmas-
day, Easter-day, and the Feast of St. Michael, when
they were bound to attend the mother church at
Sprouston. The officiating priest was to swear
fealty to the abbot, and the offerings of the private
chapel were to belong to the parish church.* The
monks kept their land in Hawden in their own
hands. In 1609, Bichard Kene possessed the plew
lands of Hawden. In 1675, these lands were in
possession of Robert, earl of Roxburghe. During
the reign of Alexander II., Bernard of Hawden
granted to the hospital of Soltre, which had been
erected on the Lammermoors for paupers and pil-
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 174, 175.
20 4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
grims, four bolls of wheat yearly out of Hawden, at
the feast of St. Nicholas.*
Haddenstank was one of the places where the
commissioners of England and Scotland met to settle
disputes. In 1410, the commissioners of the Duke
of Albany met the deputies of Henry IV. at this
place. In 1542, Sir Robert Bowes, warden of the
east marches, accompanied by Angus and his
brother, Sir George Douglas, entered Scotland with
the design to ravage Teviotdale and sack Jedburgh,
but they were met on Haddonrig by the Earl of
Huntly and Lord Home, and repulsed. The town
of Haddon is situated on Haddonrig, and commands
a beautiful and extensive prospect of the valley of
the Tweed and a great portion of the Merse. The
town was destroyed by the Duke of Norfolk. The
manor, owing to its situation on the marches, shared
in the full miseries of Border warfare.
Lempedlawe; Lempedlaw; Limpitlaw; Lem-
petlaw. — This barony was granted by David I. to
Richard Germyn. During the reigns of William
the Lion and Alexander II., Richard Germyn wit-
nessed several charters.-f- In 1222, he granted to
the house of the Holy Trinity of Soltre the church
* Chart, of the Holy Trinity of Soltre ; MS. Advocates'
Library, No. 28.
t Lib. de Mail. pp. 127, 154, etc.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 205
of Lempitlaw, with all the lands and rights per-
taining thereto.* Sir Adam Quinton was in pos-
session of the arable land called Wellflat, with toft
and croft belonging to it in the territory of Lem-
pitlaw, which had been granted by Sir Richard
Germyn to Floria, spouse of Sir Adam, during the
end of the reign of Alexander III. After Sir
Adam's death, his relict, Floria, granted the sub-
jects to the house of Soltre.f In 1463, James III.
granted to David Scott, son of Sir Walter Scott of
Kirkurd, a charter, erecting into a free barony the
lands of Branxholm, Langtown, Limpitlaw, Elrig,
Rankilburn, Eckford, and Whitchester, to be named
the barony of Branxholm. £ In 1624, Andrew
Young was in possession of the five-merk lands
of Lempitlaw called Cowenshill.
Geoffrey of Lempitlaw, chamberlain to William
the Lion, appears on record about 1190.
The barony of Lempitlaw was originally a sepa-
rate parish, but it is now united to Sprouston.
The church, which stood in the graveyard, has en-
tirely disappeared. The graveyard is still used by
the parishioners and those who wish their ashes to"
lie with their ancestors.
The village consists of about twenty cottages and
* Chart. No. 4, Advocates' Library,
t lb. No. 44.
X Retours.
206 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
three farmhouses. In the days of Pont a tower stood
at Lurdenlaw.*
LlNTUN;f Lyntoun; Lynton;J Linton.§ — This
manor appears on record about the beginning of the
twelfth century, under the name of Lintun, which
is thought to be derived from the British Lyn and
the Saxon tun or ton, signifying the dwelling on
the lake, a name very descriptive of its position in
early days. Chalmers, in his "Caledonia," says that
Richard Cumyn, a nephew of William Cumyn,
chancellor of England, got a grant from David I. of
Lintun Manor, then known as Linton Koderick, and
that Richard Cumyn afterwards gave the church of
this manor to the abbey of Kelso for the soul of his
lord, Earl Henry, who died in 1152, and for the
soul of his son John, who had been buried in the
cemetery of the house. The Rev. James Brother-
stone, who wrote the New Statistical Account of
the parish, takes the same view, and refers to the
chartulary of Kelso as his authority for the state-
ment made by him. But both are mistaken, as the
"church of Linton Roderick, granted by Cumyn to
the monks of Kelso, was the parish church of that
* Blaeu's Atlas.
t Circa, 1160, 1249; Reg. Glas. p. 17;
Lib. de Melros, p. 129.
X Circa, 1275 ; Reg. Glas. p. 15.
§ Circa, end of 16th century.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 207
name in Peebleshire. Kichard Cumyn may have
obtained a grant of the manor from David I. ; but if
so, he must have parted with it previous to his
death, in 1189 ; for, in 1160, William de Sumerville
gave three' acres of land in the territory of Linton,
with the tithes thereof, to the church of Glasgow.*
It is certain that Cumyn was in possession of Linton
in Peebleshire before 1153, and it is equally certain
that he granted the church thereof, with half-a-car-
rucate of land in the township, to the monks of
Kelso, for the soul's rest of his lord, Earl Henry,
and of his son John, whose bodies were buried
at Kelso, on condition that he himself and Hextild
his wife, and their children, should be received into
the brotherhood of the convent, and made partakers
of its spiritual benefits.^ This gift was confirmed
by Malcolm IV. ; by William the Lion ; by Josceline,
bishop of Glasgow, before 1199; by Bishop Walter
in the year 1232, and by Pope Innocent before
1254.J: It is obvious that Linton in Teviotdale has
been taken for Linton in Peebleshire. The first per-
son whose connexion can be traced with the manor,
is William de Sumerville, about 1160. He is said
to be the second son of Sir Walter de Sumerville,
who was the son of the first Walter de Sumerville,
who came over with William the Conqueror, and
* Reg. of Glas. p. 17.
t Lib. de Calchou, p. 226. J lb. pp. vi. 316, 319, etc.
208 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
obtained from him the lordship and territory of
Whichenour in Staffordshire.* William de Sumer-
ville followed David I. into Scotland, who conferred
upon him the lands and barony of Carnwath, in the
county of Lanark. He is a witness to the founda-
tion charter of Melrose Abbey in 1136. In 1147,
he witnessed a grant made by David of the church
of Kylrmont to the bishop of St. Andrews. He is a
witness to a charter of Earl Henry, confirming the
endowments of his father to the church of St. John
in the castle of Roxburgh, dated at Traquair, 1150.-f-
In the same year he witnessed a grant of Robert,
bishop of St. Andrews. He witnessed the confirma-
tion charter of Malcolm IV. to the church of Kelso
in 11 59. He also witnessed the grant of Malcolm IV.,
* The eldest son, Sir Walter, succeeded his father in the
lordship of Whichenour, and carried on the line of the
family in England. From him descended Sir Philip de
Somerville, so noted for his hospitality in the reigns of
Henry IV. and V. It was this Sir Philip who held the
lands of Netherton, Cowlee, Ridware, &c, by the celebrated
service of furnishing a flitch of bacon to the married pair
who could, on their consciences, declare that they had not
once had a difference during the first twelve months of wed-
lock. The male line of the Whichenour branch terminated
in a daughter, who was the wife of the Duke of Buckingham,
beheaded in the reign of Henry VIII. From Roger, the
third son of the first Sir Walter, sprang William Somerville,
born in 1677, author of "The Chase," and other poems.
He was the friend of Shenstone, and a correspondent of
Allan Eamsay.
t Reg. of Glas. p. 10.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 209
in 1160, to Herbert, the bishop of Glasgow, of the
church of Old Roxburgh, with its appurtenances, and
the chapel of the castle of Roxburgh.* It is uncertain
when he died, but it is thought to have been before
1162. William de Sumerville, his eldest son,
succeeded. He was in great favour with Malcolm IV.
and William the Lion, and witnessed many of their
charters. This William de Sumerville is thought to
have been the first of Linton. Tradition relates
that he obtained the barony from William the Lion,
on his destroying a monster which inhabited a glen
in the territory of Linton, about a mile from the
church, known at the present day as the Worm's
Glen. The monster was in length three Scots
yards, and about the thickness of an ordinary man's
leg, with a head more proportionate to its length than
thickness ; in form and colour it resembled a moor
adder. When this monster sought after its prey, it
usually wandered a mile or two from the glen ; creep-
ing among the bent heather, or grass, it was not
discovered till it was master of its prey, which it
instantly devoured. So great was the destruction of
the bestial, that the country people were forced to
remove themselves and their cattle to a distance.
Neither durst any person go to church or market in
that direction, for fear of the worm. Several attempts
* Reg. of Glas. p. 14.
vol. ra. p
210 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
were made to destroy it, by shooting arrows and
throwing darts from a distance ; but as no one durst
approach near to it, to use a sword or lance, it
only received slight wounds. So terrified were the
country people at last, that they imagined that the
monster was a judgment sent by God, to plague
them for their sins. While the people were in such
fear and terror, William Sumerville, who was in
the south, hearing such strange reports of the beast,
resolved to see it. On his arrival at Jedburgh,
where the court was at the time, he found the whole
inhabitants in a panic, owing to the stories told by
the country people, who had fled to that place for
shelter. He was told that it had wings ; was full of
fire, which blazed out of its mouth at night ; and so
venomous, that its breath killed the cattle at a con-
siderable distance. However, Sumerville was curi-
ous to see this monster, whatever might happen.
Having learned that the animal usually left its den
at sunrise or sunset, and wandered the fields in
search of prey, he went on horseback to the glen by
dawn of day. He was not long there, till the beast
crawled out of his den, and observing him at a little
distance, lifted up its head, with half of the body,
staring him in the face, with open mouth, but
not offering to advance, on which he took cour-
age and went nearer, that he might examine its
shape, and try whether it would attack him or no ;
but the beast turned in a half-circle, and entered its
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 211
den. Being informed of the means already used to
kill the animal, and being satisfied it could not be
destroyed by sword or dagger, owing to the hazard
of approaching so near to it as these weapons re-
quired; for several days he watched the animal
to ascertain the manner of its leaving and entering
the den; and finding that it did not retire backwards,
but always turned in a half-circle, so that there was
no way of killing it but by a sudden approach, by a
long spear on horseback ; a mode by which, if the
body was impenetrable, he might endanger not only
the life of his horse, which he loved well, but also his
own, to no purpose. At last, he caused a long spear
to be made, plated with iron about six quarters
from the point upward, on the top of which he
placed a lighted peat, and accustomed his horse to
the smell of smoke and fire. Having the horse well
trained, he made a slender wheel of iron, and fixed
it near the point of his lance, that the wheel might
turn round on the least touch, without a risk of
breaking the lance. All things being ready, he pro-
claimed to the gentlemen and commons of Teviotdale,
that he would, on a certain day, kill the monster, or
die in the attempt. Many looked upon the offer as a
boast, others as an act of madness on the part of the
youth, and endeavoured to advise him to forego the
attempt ; but no argument could turn him from his
purpose. Accordingly, on the appointed day, he
placed himself, with his servant, a stout, resolute
212 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
fellow, within half-an-arrow shot of the mouth of the
den, which was no larger than easily to admit the
monster, whom he watched with a vigilant eye on
horseback, having some small, hard peats, bedaubed
with pitch, rosin, and brimstone, fixed with a small
wire, on the wheel, at the point of the lance, so that,
on being touched with fire, they would immediately
burst out into a flame. The proverb, that the fates
assist bold men, was verified in this enterprise, for
the day was calm, with only as much air as served
his purpose. About the rising of the sun, the beast
appeared, with its head and part of its body out of
the den; on which, the servant, as previously ar-
ranged, set fire to the peats on the wheel at the top
of the lance, and instantly, Sumerville, putting spurs
to his horse, advanced at a full gallop, the fire still
increasing, placed the same, with the wheel, and
nearly the third part of his lance, directly in the
monster's mouth, which went down the throat into
the belly, and the lance breaking by the rebounding
of the horse, was left there, causing a deadly wound.
So great was the strength of the animal, that, in at-
tempting to get back into the den, the whole ground
above was raised up and overturned, which aided in
its destruction. The body of the serpent, or dragon,
was taken from under the rubbish, and exposed for
many days to the sight of a great number of people,
who came far and near to look on the dead carcase
of the creature, which was so great a terror to them
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 213
while it was alive * For this gallant action, Sumer-
ville obtained universal applause from the people,
and his gracious king honoured him with knighthood,
conferred upon him the whole barony of Linton, and
* The celebrated poet of Teviotdale, while singing of the
scenery of Cayle, alludes to this tradition :
" Pure blows the summer breeze o'er moor and dell,
Since first in Wormiswood the serpent fell :
From years, in distance lost, his birth he drew,
And with the ancient oaks the monster grew,
Till venom, nursed in every stagnant vein,
Shed o'er his scaly sides a yellowy stain,
Save where, upreared, his purfled crest was seen,
Bedropt with purple blots and streaks of green.
Deep in a sedgy fen, concealed from day,
Long ripening, on his oozy bed he lay ;
Till, as the poison-breath around him blew,
From every bough the shrivelled leaflet flew,
Grey moss began the wrinkled trees to climb,
And the tall oaks grew old before their time.
u On his dark bed the grovelling monster long
Blew the shrill hiss, and launched the serpent prong,
Or, writhed on frightful coils, with powerful breath,
Drew the faint herds to glut the den of death ;
Dragged, with unwilling speed, across the plain,
The snorting steed, that gazed with stiffened mane ;
The forest bull, that lashed, with hideous roar,
His sides indignant, and the ground up-tore.
Bold as the chief, who, 'mid black Lerna's brake,
With mighty prowess quelled the water-snake,
To rouse the monster from his noisome den,
A dauntless hero pierced the blasted fen :
He mounts, he spurs his steed ; — in bold career,
His arm gigantic wields a fiery spear ;
214 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
appointed him Royal Falconer. The grateful people
of Teviotdale perpetuated the gallant exploit, which
freed the territory of Linton from such a monster,
by cutting out in stone the figure of young Sumer-
ville, as he performed the deed, and placed it above
the principal door of Linton church, with an inscrip-
tion referring to the event* The inscription has
With aromatic moss the shaft was wreathed,
And favouring gales around the champion breathed;
By power invisible the courser drawn,
Now quick, and quicker, bounds across the lawn ;
Onward he moves, unable now to pause,
And fearless, meditates, the monster's jaws,
Impels the struggling steed, that strives to shun,
Full on his wide unfolding fangs to run ;
Down his black throat he thrusts the fiery dart,
And hears the frightful hiss that rends his heart ;
Then, wheeling light, reverts his swift career. —
The writhing serpent grinds the ashen spear ;
Rolled on his head, his awful volumed train
He strains, in tortured folds, and bursts in twain.
On Cala's banks, his monstrous fangs appal
The rustics, pondering on the sacred wall,
Who hear the tale, the solemn rites between,
On summer Sabbaths, in the churchyard green."
* In the memoirs of the Baronial House of Somerville,
written by James, the eleventh Lord Somerville, who died
in 1690, it is stated that John was the destroyer of the
worme ; that he was the first of Linton, and the first of the
name who acquired lands in Scotland. But the noble author
is mistaken. There was not a John in the descent of the
Scottish branch, till the middle of the fourteenth century ; and
the John of that time was a third son ; besides, it is undoubted
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 215
long been effaced, but tradition says it was as
follows : —
" Wode Willie Somerville
Killed the worm of Wormandaill,
For whilk he had all the lands of Lintoune,
And six miles them about."
The monument was to be seen above the door of the
little church of Linton, till the summer of 1858;
when, in consequence of repairs upon the edifice, it
was taken down, and placed outside a newly erected
porch. The sculpture presents a rude representa-
tion of a horseman, in full armour, with a falcon on
his arm, in the act of charging his lance down the
throat of a large four-footed animal, not in the
least resembling a worm or serpent. Several writers
imagine that there is no foundation for the legend,
and that the sculpture above the church door gave
rise to the legend, and not the legend to the sculp-
ture. But I have no doubt that the legend is in
substance true, and that a monster of one kind or
that the tradition relates to William Somerville. It is also cer-
tain, that William Somerville arrived in Scotland, as a fol-
lower of David, Prince of Cumberland, before 1124, and ob-
tained from him the manor of Carnwath, in Lanarkshire.
It is said by Chalmers, and several Peerage writers, that the
first William Somerville died in 1142, and was buried in
Melrose Abbey ; but this is also a mistake, as the only entry
of a Somerville being buried in that cemetery, is William
Somerville, who died in 1242, no doubt, the grandson of the
first William. — Chron. Mail. p. 155.
216 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
another existed in that place, which made it danger-
ous to dwell in the locality, and that it was killed
by young Somerville. It is very easy to account
for the improbable statements as to the power and
dimensions of the animal. At that time the old
faith would be in the full remembrance of the in-
habitants of the district, and no doubt, secretly be-
lieved by many ; and when such a destructive animal
made its appearance, it is not surprising that they
should connect it with the obscene spirits, that in-
fested the hills, mosses, and fens, and attribute to it
a portion of their power. According to the Gothic
mythology, there existed flying dragons, who floated
on their wings over the plains, and carried away
corpses. One of these is alluded to in the fine
Saxon poem of Beowolf, under the name of Grendel :
" There was a more grim spirit, called Grendel ;
Great was the mark of his steps,
He that rules the moor,
The fen, and the fastness."
The place where this worme is said to have had its
abode would, in former days, be entirely surrounded
by lakes, mosses, and fens peculiarly adapted for
such a reptile. At that time the Cayle valley, from
Marlfield to Crookedshaws, would be almost an
entire lake or marsh. Another fen extended from
the Bowmont river, by Cherrytrees and Thirlestane,
to within a very short distance of a large flow moss,
which existed on Greenlees farm, forming a circle of
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 217
lakes and mosses around Wormesglen.* But Linton
was not the only place which was infested at that
early day by such animals. Duncan Fraser, an old
bard, who lived upon the Cheviot mountains about
1270, sings of a Laidley worm which existed at
Spendleston heugh —
" For seven miles east and seven miles west,
And seven miles north and south,
No blade of grass nor corn could grow,
So venomous was her mouth."
Within the bishopric of Durham, two manors were
obtained, under nearly the same circumstances as
Linton was gained by Somerville. The manor of
Sockburn, in Northumberland, originally belonging
to the ancient and powerful family of Conyers, is
* About 1826, the skull of a beaver was found in Linton
loch by Mr. Purves, the tenant, who was in the course of
making operations in the morass, so as to get at a very exten-
sive deposit of marl. After penetrating about eight feet of
moss which covered the marl, the skull was found on its sur-
face, in an excellent state of preservation. The remains of
deer and other animals were also found on the surface of the
marl, about twenty yards from the margin of the loch. At
other places, horns of the red deer, with bones of animals of
the same species, were found at a depth of twenty-two feet
from the surface of the moss. At a depth of seven feet
within the marl was found the left tibia of an ox, bos pri-
mogenius, which was computed to have belonged to an ani-
mal measuring at least six feet, or, with hoof and soft parts
entire, fully half-a-foot more to the summit of the shoulder.
Near the margin of the loch, and about seven feet deep in the
moss, were found an arrow-head, and two or three small
horse-shoes. The moss was divided into three layers, the upper
218 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
held by the service of presenting a falchion to every
bishop on his first entrance into his diocese, and the
use of an ancient form of words when he does so, to
the effect that the presenter " represents the person
of Sir John Conyer, who, on the fields of Sockburn,
with this falchion, slew a monstrous creature, a
dragon, a worm, or a flying serpent, that devoured
men, women, and children. The then owner of
Sockburn, as a reward for his bravery, gave him the
manor and its appurtenances, to be held for ever, on
condition that he meets the lord Bishop of Durham,
with this falchion, on his first entrance into his dio-
cese after his election to that see." It is said that
layer about three feet in thickness ; the second, measuring
about two feet, was not so firm as the upper layer, and
changed its colour, of a greenish brown when moist and newly
exposed, to almost a white when dry ; the third extended to
four feet, but in some places to a greater thickness, and of a
black colour, holding embedded, in various grades of preser-
vation, the trunks of hazel and birch trees, with an occasional
oak, measuring from two to four feet in diameter ; large
quantities of hazel nuts, in masses, as if gathered and swept
from the upper woodlands by the mountain freshets. The
stratum of marl was eighteen feet in thickness. — Paper by
Charles Wilson, M.D., late of Kelso, in the Edinburgh New
Philosophical Journal, July, 1858.
In Linton loch grew a species of reed, which the inhabi-
tants of the neighbouring villages and onsteads used in the
roofing of their houses. With these reeds they also made
u bennils " for laying above the joists of their cottages, instead
of deals. While the workmen were taking out the marl, they
found a strong and copious mineral spring issuing from the
sand beneath the marL
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 219
the animal slain was venomed and poisoned, which
overthrew and devoured many people, for the scent
of the poison was so strong that no person was able
to abide it; yet he, by the Providence of God, over-
threw it. But, before he entered upon his enter-
prise, he went to the church in full armour, and
offered up his son to the Holy Ghost. This took
place before the Conquest. The monument, says a
writer of the end of last century, is still to be seen,
and the place where the serpent lay is called Gray-
stone * Pollardslands, in the same county, are held
by the same tenure.-)- In the Cathedral of St. An-
drews, the tusks of a boar long hung in the choir,
in gratitude for the destruction of the enormous
and savage animal to which they belonged.
In the memoir of the family of Somerville, it is
said that the destroyer of the worme married Eliza-
beth, daughter of Sir Eobert Oliphant of Cessford,
whose lands lay next to his own barony of Linton,
the water of Cayle being the boundary, and by her
had several children. J Between 1180 and 1189,
he confirmed to Joscelin, bishop of Glasgow, the
church of Carnwath, which he had, by the advice of
his father and other friends, previously granted to
Bishop Englram.§ William, his son, succeeded,
* Harleian MSS., No. 2118, p. 39.
t Tennant, vol. iii. p. 341.
X Memoirs, vol. i. p. 60.
§ Keg. of Glas., p. 46.
220 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and married Margaret, daughter of Walter New-
bigging of that Ilk in Clydesdale. In 1 239, William,
baron of Linton, attended Alexander II. at Koxburgh
Castle, on his marriage with Mary of Picardy*
He died in J 242, and was buried in the cemetery
of Melrose.-f William, his son, succeeded, and was
knighted by Alexander III. In 1263, he attended
the king at the battle of Largs, where he greatly
distinguished himself. In 1270, he witnessed a
charter of Henry of Halyburton to the monks of
Kelso. In 1289, Thomas of Somerville was one of
the commissioners appointed to consult the king of
England as to a marriage between his eldest son
and the heiress of Scotland. J John, his second
son, swore fealty to Edward I. in 1296.§ Sir
Walter Somerville of Linton, with his son, Sir
David, joined Wallace, and commanded the third
brigade of horse at the battle of Biggar, fought
in the end of May, 1297. Walter Somerville
followed Eobert Bruce to the battle of Methven
Wood, near St. Johnstone. His son, Sir David, who
was also present, was taken prisoner. In conse-
quence of the Somervilles adhering to the interests
of Wallace and Bruce, the barony of Linton was
given by Baliol to Walter Cumyn of Kilbride. On
* Hailes's Annals, vol. i. p. 185.
t Chron. de Mail. p. 155.
X Rymer, vol. i. P. iii. p. 66.
§ Ragman's Rolls, p. 139.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 221
the independence of Scotland being won on the
field of Bannockburn, the lands were restored to
the lawful owners. In 1348, two years after the
unfortunate battle of Durham, where king David
was taken prisoner, Edward III. charged the sheriff
of Roxburgh to restore the lands forfeited by William
of Somerville, in Lynton and Carnwath, to Richard
Cumyn of Kilbride, son of Walter Cumyn, to whom
the lands had been granted by Baliol.* On King
David Bruce regaining his liberty, he granted two
charters, one in 1365, and the other in 1369, con-
firming and ratifying all former rights and charters
granted by himself, or father, to and in favour of
Walter Somerville, of the barony of Linton and
Carnwath, to be held ward of him and of his suc-
cessors. He died in 1380, at Kelso, on his way to
Linton, in the house of William Somerville, his
natural son, from whence his remains were con-
veyed to Linton, and buried in the " queir of the
church/' John Somerville, his son, was served heir
to his father, at Jedburgh, April 10, 1381, before
Robert Ker of Cessford. In 1396, he sat as one of
the barons of Scotland, in the parliament of Perth,
called by Robert III. In 1426, Thomas Somer-
ville lived at Linton for some time, and while there,
repaired the tower, church, and queir of Linton,
with the ancient monument to the destroyer of the
* Kotuli Scotiie, vol. i. p. 723.
222 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
worme, which, by length of time, and the perpeutal
incursions and burnings of the English, were much
decayed. In 1434, James I. confirmed Thomas of
Somerville in the barony of Linton. William of
Somerville witnessed a confirmation by James II.
of charters by David I. and Robert III., to the
canons of Holyrood. He died in 1456, and was
succeeded by his eldest son, John. During the
siege of Roxburghe Castle, in 1460, he was of great
service to the king and the army, in furnishing
provisions from his own barony of Linton, and ad-
jacent country, which he the more easily accom-
plished owing to his being nearly allied to the Kers
of Cessford and Fernieherst. On the breaking up of
the siege, he retired to his tower of Linton. In
1476, William of Somerville was infeft in the
barony of Linton, confirmed by James III. in the
following year. Between 1486 and 1538 the family
of Somerville seems to have sold the barony of
Linton to the Kers. In 1594, William Ker of
Littleden had a grant of the barony, with the
patronage of Linton kirk* In 1608, John Ker of
Hirsel, son and heir of Walter Ker of Littleden,
obtained a charter of the baronies of Maxton, Lin-
ton, and Town Yetham.-f- In 1619, Linton and
Maxton were granted to John Ker, son of Sir John
Ker of Jedburgh. In 1670, Elizabeth and Anna
* Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xi. No. 90. t lb. lib. xii No. 35.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 223
Scott were served heirs portioners to their father,
George Scott, who was the brother of Walter Scott
of Whitslaid, in the land and barony of Linton,
with the patronage of the church.* In 1686, Janet
Pringle was served heir to her father, Robert
Pringle of Clifton, of parts of the barony of Linton,
viz., the lands of Park, Hindlaw, Burnfoot, Easter
and Wester Howden, Glendelhaugh, Ladywelbrae,
Swinesclos, part of the lands of Linton, now called
Southquarter, and Yaitt, on the south side of the
town of Linton, which is the southern division of
the lands of Linton; part of the lands of Linton,
called Bankhead, and Shielscrocerig, on the north
side of the town of Linton, which is the northern
division of the lands of Linton, which extend the
22-pound lands with the astricted multure and
privilege of the common in Shielscrocemoor, Wool-
struther bog, and Wormeden, within the parish and
barony of Linton ; parts of the lands of Priorlaw,
lying runrig, with the privilege of pasture in the
parish of Linton.-f* At the death of Robert Pringle
of Clifton and Haining, the lands passed to the pre-
sent owner, Robert Elliot of Harwood, who, after his
accession to the estate, erected an elegant mansion,
within a well-wooded park, called Clifton Park.
The Kers retained Graden to a later period.
Andrew, or Band Ker, the laird of Graden, was a
* Retours, No. 253. t lb. No. 290.
224 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
man of note on the Borders, in the beginning of the
IGth century. He held the lands under Walter
Ker of Cessford, who, in 1551, confirmed him anew
in the lands, Graden tower, fortalice, and pertinents,
in consequence of the old writings being destroyed
by the English. In 1679, Henry Ker was laird of
Graden, and one of the justices of the peace for the
county of Roxburgh for the purpose of suppressing
conventicles. Three days after the battle of Both-
well-brig, the Council ordered him to secure Sir
Henry Hall of Haughhead, Turnbull of Bewly, Turn-
bull of Stanehill, and Archibald Riddell, brother of
Riddell of that Ilk, as being either at or accessary
to that battle. The infamous laird of Meldrum was
ordered to assist. In 1680, Archibald Riddell,
Turnbull of Knowe, and the laird of Down, were
apprehended by Henry Ker, and imprisoned in Jed-
burgh. The Council ordered Meldrum to carry the
prisoners to Edinburgh, and recommended the laird
of Graden to the Lords of the Treasury for the
reward offered by the Council's proclamations for
taking Riddell* In 1699, he was served heir to
his father in the lands of Wester Hoselaw, alias
Place Graden, and in the lands of Falside, in the
* In these doings a key is furnished to the way in which
the Kers acquired a number of small properties in various
parts of the counties of Roxburgh and Selkirk. It is curious
to notice that the descendants of the clan Turnbull, and other
Border thieves, lost their properties for non-conformity.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 225
parish of Linton * William Dawson, the agricul-
turist, possessed part of Graden till a few years ago.
George Humble of Kelso is the owner of another
part of Graden. The lands of Fauside were pos-
sessed at a very early period by a person who had
assumed the name of the place as his surname.
Robert Bruce granted to William de Fauside the
lands of Greenlees, which adjoined Fauside, forfeited
by Sir James Torthorald.f In 1372, John de Fau-
side and John of Linton witnessed a notarial copy
of a confirmation, by Pope Gregory IV., of gifts to
the canons of Holyrood. In the middle of the 17th
century, Greenlees was the property of William
Bennet, son of the rector of Ancrum.J
Blakelaw, which formed a portion of the barony
of Linton, was the property of Mark Ker, portioner
of Cliftoune, in 1655. It now belongs to Robert
Oliver. On this property was born Thomas Pringle,
the author of " The Excursion/' He emigrated to
Africa, and established a newspaper at Cape Town ;
but the measures he supported were deemed too
liberal for that day, and the journal was sup-
pressed by the governor. In returning to his native
land, he devoted himself to literature, published
* Ketours, No. 324. t Robertson's Index, p.
t Ketours, No. 195.
VOL. III. Q
226 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
"African Sketches," and edited "Friendship's Offer-
ing/' When about to embark for Africa, he thus
took leave of his native land : —
" Our native land — our native vale —
A long and last adieu ;
Farewell to bonny Teviotdale,
And Cheviot's mountains blue."
He died in December, 1834. Dr. Clarke, who was
celebrated as the first physician of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, was also a native of this barony.*
Of the old town of Linton, which was formerly of
great extent, there are now no remains, excepting
the church and mill. A number of the old build-
ings have been removed within the memory of man,
and the foundations of others are occasionally ex-
posed by the plough. Tradition fixes the site of the
baronial cross opposite to the farm-house, and near
to the butts, where the inhabitants were trained to
archery. The tower stood on an eminence to the
south of the church, and between it and the mill.
The site is now covered with trees. In 1522, it was
destroyed by the English warden. Next year it was
again visited by the Earl of Surrey, who razed it to
the ground. Linton was again destroyed by the
Earl of Hertford, in 1545.
There are traces of the church of Linton as far
back as 1127. In 1160, Edward was parson of the
* New Statistical Account.
KOXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 227
church.* Patrick was parson in the reign of Alex-
ander II. In 1304, Eichard was pastor. Edward III.
appointed Eichard of Skypton and Eichard Prodham
to the church, between 1358 and 1360.-f* In 1459,
William Blair was parson of the church. The
" queir" of the church was the burying-place of the
Somervilles. In 1214, Eoger Somerville of Which-
enour, who had joined in the rebellion against
King John, fled to Scotland. He died in the
" toure" of Linton, at the age of 94, and was buried
in the queir of the church, where his descendants
continued to be buried for nearly 200 years. The
present church is situated on the top of a consider-
able law or knoll of pure sand.j Tradition bears
that this little hill was sifted by two sisters, to save
the life of their brother, who had slain a priest ; but
it is not easy to believe in the legend, as the hill, at
a moderate computation, must have a solid content
of about half a million of cubic feet. It is probable
that the legend owes its origin to the early Catholic
priesthood, with the view of impressing upon the rude
people of the locality of that day the sacredness
of their persons. The legend is, however, implicitly
believed in by the people of the district at this day.§
* Eeg. of Glas. p. 17. t Rotuli Scotiae, vol. i. p. 852.
X Vol. i. pp. 40-42.
§ Sir Walter Scott, in his " Minstrelsy," says that the hill
was sifted by two beautiful sisters, as a penance on them for
228 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Although there is no certain information to show
that the present site occupies the position of the old
church which existed during the days of David,
Malcolm, and William the Lion, it may be inferred
that it does, from the Somervilles being buried
within it for nearly 200 years.* In repairing the
church, sometime before 1792, there was found a
large grave, containing fifty skulls, all equally de-
cayed, and from several of them being cut, it is
supposed that they had fallen in battle. The
minister of Linton, who drew up the last statistical
account, conjectures that the skulls belonged to
individuals who had fallen at Flodden-field, the
remains of many of whom were consigned to a com-
mon grave in the cemeteries of the nearest Border
parishes; but this conjecture is very improbable,
from the distance, and several graveyards lying
between it and Linton. It is more likely that the
skulls belonged to individuals who had fallen on one
of the English visits to Linton. "When the English
warden destroyed the town in ]522, he had with
him an army of 2000 men, which may sufficiently
the blood shed on their account by the gallants of the district.
The legend, as given in the text, is as related by the people
living in the locality, and implicitly believed.
* The interior of the church was taken out in 1858, and
entirely renewed. The beautiful Norman font was used for
years by a blacksmith for the purpose of holding small coal.
It i.s now in the possession of the owner of the barony.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 229
account for the remains, without including the raids
of Surrey and Hertford.
A chapel, dependant upon Linton, is said to
have stood at Hoselaw, probably for the conve-
nience of the eastern part of the parish ; but
the plough has now passed over it and its little
graveyard.*
Yet bam, Yhetam, Jet am, Jetham ;f Zedon jJ
Yettam;§ Yetholm.|| — The name of this ancient
place is thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon
* No district in all the Border land has undergone so
much improvement as the barony of Linton. I remember
when nearly all the land lying between the Softlaws and
Thirlestanes was moor, moss, and loch, with scarcely a fence
to be seen. Now it has all been brought under the plough,
and produces excellent crops. All the flat ground between
Greenlees and Fauside was a large flow moss within my day.
Not a tree was to be seen excepting an ash or two at the
onstead of Greenlees. The onstead at the roadside between
Fauside and Easterstead was called " Patie's on the Moor,"
from its situation on the top of a wild ridge. The locality is
now full of fruitful fields. From the top of this ridge, where
the road crosses it a little above Easterstead, is obtained
one of the most extensive and beautiful views in the district.
It is well worth going many a mile to see.
t 1165-1230, Lib. de Calchou ; Ragman's Rolls; Reg.
Glasg. ; Lib. de Dryburgh ; Rotuli Scotiae.
+ Circa, 1388; Froissart's Chronicles, vol. iv. p. 3.
§ Circa, 1545 — Account of Hertford's expedition into
Scotland.
|| Circa, 1797 ; Old Statistical Account ; Old Valuation
Book of the County of Roxburgh.
230 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Zete, gait or road, and ham, a dwelling ; the dwelling
or hamlet at the yet or road. At present there are
two towns bearing the name of Yetholm; the one at
which the church is situated is called Kirk Yetholm,
and the other, Town Yetholm. Originally there was
only one village, that which is known as Kirk
Yetholm ; and Town Yetholm is not seen till near
the middle of the 15th century. The prefix Kirk
does not appear on record till the beginning of the
15th century.
The early history of this territory is involved in
the haze of antiquity. The bounds of the manor
cannot be exactly ascertained ; but it is probable
that it was at first co-extensive with the parish, and
continued so till about the end of the 15th century,
when nearly all the lands lying to the north of
the Eiver Beaumont were erected into a barony in
favour of the Earl of Bothwell, and called the barony
of Town Yetholm. After that period, the lands of
Kirk Yetholm and the lands of Town Yetholm ap-
pear to have remained as separate baronies. About
the middle of the 17th century, the manor of Kirk
Yetholm was annexed to the barony of Grubet.
About the end of the 12th and the beginning of the
13th centuries, occasional glimpses are obtained of
persons connected with the locality. Ralph Nanus,
who seems to have possessed the manor, granted to
the monks of Kelso three acres of land in Yhetam,
opposite the lands which the monks held in Colpin-
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 231
hopes, and near to the rivulet which divides Eng-
land from Scotland, as bounded by a ditch, with
right to them to build houses for themselves, their
men, and animals, on the said lands, with free pas-
sage for themselves, their men, and cattle, from
the lands of Colpinhopes to the lands of Yetholm.
Kalph also bound himself and his heirs not to build
any houses on the road lying between the foresaid
lands and the rivulet dividing England from Scot-
land, nor suffer any person to do so to the injury of
the monks.* This property is thought to be the
same as that called by the name of the Half-hus-
bandlands at the present day, and on which there
are houses still named the Halfland Houses. The
monks had also the right of common pasture in
Yetholm, and which they let to the miller of Col-
pinhopes. Colpinhopes lay within the English bor-
der, and was granted by Walter Corbet, the laird of
Makerston, to the convent. William, the son of
Patrick, earl of Dunbar, with the consent of his
wife Christian, daughter of Walter Corbet, con-
firmed the grant, and added the mill of Colpinhopes.
In the chartulary of the abbey of Kelso, the boun-
daries of the grant are said to extend " from Edred-
sete to Greengare under Edredsete, and to the
bridge at the head of ^ the brook which divides Eng-
land from Scotland, and down this brook towards
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 307, 308.
232 THE HISTOKY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the chapel of St. Edeldrida* the virgin, to another
brook which runs down by Homildun, and then up
this brook to a glen where the brook comes to Ho-
mildun, across the way which comes from Jetam,
and along this way to the two great stones.")* No
person was to plough on the west side of Homildun.
The monks laboured the grange of Colpinhopes in
winter with two ploughs, and they had there pasture
for 20 oxen, 20 cows, 500 ewes, and 200 other
sheep. They had also five acres of land in Shotton
or Scotton, which lay on the west side of the road
beside the burn which divides England and Scot-
land, near Yetham, with pasture for forty sheep
* Ethelrida was the daughter of Ina, King of the East
Angles, and was married to Egfrid, King of Northumbria,
with whom she is said to have lived for twelve years in a state
of continency. She then, with leave of the king, retired to
Coldingham, where she took the veil. On the king repent-
ing granting her leave to retire to the convent, and threa-
tening to take her therefrom, she, with two companions, fled
to the summit of a rock called St. Abb's Head. When Eg-
frid attempted to take her from the rock, the tide suddenly
surrounded the rock, so as to make it inaccessible. The ris-
ing of the waters was attributed to a miracle, and Egfrid took
to himself another wife. I think I came upon the founda-
tions of the chapel a little way below the ruins of the Shank,
and I was told by an old man in Yetholm that he had seen
its Font. He also stated to me that a person in Yetholm,
who died several years ago at an advanced age, had, while he
was a boy, at a place called Marchlaw, worshipped in the little
chapel of the Virgin.
t Are these the stones now called Stob stones ?
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 233
and forty cows everywhere in Shotton, excepting in
the cornfields and meadows. They had also common
pasture and fuel, and a right to grind without pay-
ing multure at the mill of Schotton. In 1296,
William of Yetham swore fealty to Edward I * In
the same year, Mestre Walran, the parson of Yetholm,
swore fealty to the same king at Berwick.-)- On the
23rd of August, Edward I. arrived at Yetham, and
remained two days. In 1320, William of Yetham,
Sir William de Soulis, and Sir Robert de Keith got
a safe-conduct from Edward II. to enter England.
In 1375, Edward III. gave Parkfield, with other
lands in Yetham, to Thomas Archer, for good service
done to England on the Scottish border, for a pay-
ment of £4< annually. In the same year, Robert
II, the Scottish king, granted the barony of Yetham
to Fergus M'Dougal, on the resignation of Margaret
Fraser, his mother.^ Archibald M'Dougal obtained
from Robert III. a grant of Yetham, Mackerston,
and Elystoun, between the years 1390 and 1406.
The manor of Yetham passed to William de Haw-
den, by grant of the Duke of Albany, in 1407.
Before 1432, Andrew Ker got a gift of the lands of
Yetham from the governor, but the Estates of Par-
liament found that the governor could not gift from
the crown any land that fell to the crown through
* Ragman's Rolls, p. 128. t Rotuh Scotiae.
% Reg. Mag. Sig., p. 191, No. 33.
234 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the decease of any bastard, and therefore the gift to
Ker was of no avail* In 1491, James IV. granted
to the noted Sir Robert Ker the superiority of the
tenandry of the lands of Kirk Yethame. In 1523,
George Rutherfurd, son and heir of John Rutherfurd
of Hundolee, got a charter of the ten-pound lands of
Yetham and Hayhope. In 1629, the lands and mill
of Kirk Yetholm were held by Andrew, Lord Jed-
burgh.-)- In 1647, William Bennet was served heir
to his father, William Bennet, rector of Ancrum, in
the lands of Kirk Yetham and mill annexed to the
barony of Grubet.J The family of Nisbet of Dirlton
next possessed the barony. The greater portion of
these lands are now the property of the Marquis of
Tweeddale.
Halterburnhead, a portion of the old manor of
Yetholm, formed at one time part of the estate of
Cherrytrees, belonging to a family of Murray, from
whom it passed to Wauchope of Niddrie, and is now
the property of Charles Rae of Middleton, Northum-
berland. This estate is situated on the sources of a
brook of that name, which runs eastward, past the
half-land-house, till it meets the burn that divides
England and Scotland, from whence its course is in
a northerly direction, forming the boundary of the
two kingdoms till its confluence with the Beaumont.
* Acta Pari. vol. ii. p. 20. t Ketours. J lb.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 235
The name of Halterburn is thought to be a corrup-
tion of Fdeldrida, and so named from the chapel
of the Virgin which stood in that locality. The
brook, which descends from the mountains on the
west of the Shank, is stated in the grants of the
13th century to be the boundary of England and
Scotland, but which is not so at the present day.
The foundations of many ruined houses speak of a
numerous population which once inhabited the well
sheltered hopes of the mountains. It is interesting
to notice the dose proximity of the buildings to the
border line on each side, as if the inhabitants in
either kingdom had always lived at peace with each
other.
The whole territory of Kirk Yetham, with the ex-
ception of the vale of Beaumont, and part lying
near Shotton, is mountainous, affording fine pasture
for sheep. Many of these hills bear marks of hav-
ing been cultivated, at a former period, to near their
summits. All the accessible lands on the slopes of
the hills is being brought under the influence of the
plough. Part of the hill sides, to the west of Kirk
Yetham, is planted, but in a manner that does not
add to the beauty of the scenery.
The church and graveyard are at the west end of
the town. The present church, which is a very
handsome building, was erected in 1836, on the site
of the old church, which was a long low building,
thatched with reeds, with the floor below the level
236 THE HISTOKY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
of the ground. The earliest notice of the church is
about 1233. At that time, Nicholas de Gleynwin,
rector of the church of Jetham, is a witness to
Mariote, the daughter of Samuel, quit-claiming the
land of Stobhou in favour of the church of Glasgow.*
In 1295, on a dispute arising between William
Folcard and the monks of Kelso, the rector of
Yetham was commissioner for the abbot of Dun-
fermline, who was chosen arbiter.-)- In 1368,
Edward III. presented John of Alnewyk to the
church of Yetham, and on the bishop of Glasgow
refusing to induct, the king charged the sheriff of
Roxburgh not to allow any other person to be
inducted. Six years after, the same king presented
John Walays to the church of Yetham. In the
same year, Edward III. issued a writ for the
exchange of Minto for Yetham. J In 1379, Richard
II. presented Robert Gifford to the church of
Yetholm.g In 1406, William de Hawdin, laird of
Kirk Yetholm, gave the monks of Kelso the advow-
son of the church of Yetham, and imprecated the
curse of the Almighty upon whomsoever of his
heirs should dispute their right to it ; binding him-
self and them, if he or they molested the abbot in
his right, to pay ^20 to the church of St. Lawrence
at Merebotyle for each offence. || In 1495, Patrick,
* Reg. de Glas., p. 111. t Lib. de Calchou, p. 169.
X Rotuli Scotige, vol. i. pp. 963, 965. § lb., vol. ii. p. 19.
II Lib. de Calchou, pp. 415, 416.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 237
earl of Bothwell, obtained the advowson of the
church of Yetham * About the beginning of the
17th century, the family of Buccleugh was possessed
of the advowson of the church of Yetham.*)* About
the middle of the same century, the advowson
passed into the family of Wauchope, with whom it
now remains. In 1662, the Presbytery of Kelso
was discharged by the Privy Council from proceed-
ing to ordain a minister to Yetham. Tradition
tells that the bodies of a number of the Scottish
nobles who fell at the battle of Flodden were buried
in the cemetery of Yetham, as the nearest conse-
crated ground to the battle-field, seven miles distant.
The town of the manor stands on the right bank
of the Beaumont "River, on the base of one of the
Cheviot mountains. The inhabitants are all rent-
allers, under the family of Tweeddale. The feu
consists of a house, garden, about a quarter of an
acre of land in the loaning, privilege of turf and
peat, and pasture for a horse and cow on an exten-
sive common that runs into the heart of the moun-
tains. A number of the rentallers farm each a few
acres of land in the vicinity of the town, at rents
from £2 to £3, 10s. per acre, which is considered
extremely high; but as the occupiers are mostly
tradesmen and day labourers, who work the land at
leisure hours or when unemployed, they manage to
* Reg. Mag. Sig. t Retours.
238 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
make the land pay and prove a source of health and
comfort to themselves and families. The town has
been greatly improved within the last twenty-five
years. The houses look better, the streets are
cleaner, and last year an abundant supply of the
purest water was introduced from the springs on the
sides of the mountain above the town. For some
years past a number of Irish have taken up their
abode in the town, contrary to the wishes of the
native population, and are employed generally in la-
bouring on the farms around. Hitherto, the conduct
of these people in Teviotdale has been exemplary.
There is a manufactory here, driven by the
waters of the Beaumont, confined exclusively to the
working up of pure Cheviot wool into Tweeds, &c,
in which a considerable trade is carried on. It was
originally a fulling mill, of which there are notices
extending back several centuries. The same stream
drives a corn and flour mill of nearly equal antiquity.
The territory is governed by a baron baillie,
appointed by the Marquis of Tweeddale. The town
has right to two fairs in the year, one in July, the
other in October, for sheep and cattle, both well at-
tended. The market cross, a large block of whinstone,
may be seen lying in front of the Cross Keys Inn.
Yetholm, so far as I am aware, is the only place
in this part of the kingdom where a remnant of the
old mode of keeping Sheovetide is still to be seen.
In the early days of the Roman Church, Shrovetide
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC 239
was strictly observed. The people were particularly
enjoined to forgive all offences, and be reconciled to
each other before entering upon the solemnities of
Lent. With the Eoman Catholics it was a day of
mutual intercourse and friendship. Many families
opened their kitchen, and every neighbour and pas-
senger permitted to enter and fry a pancake, for
which the necessary provision was made ready. In
all religious houses the table was spread for tra-
vellers and visitants. The diversions of the day
consisted in fighting cocks, in some places hand-
ball, and in other places foot-ball, foot-races, &c.
In Yetholm, cock-fighting used to be one of the
amusements of the day, but it has been given up, and
foot-ball is now the chief diversion.* The game is
* Although ball-playing is connected with the Shrovetide
of the Romans, it is thought by several writers to be a ves-
tige of the worship paid by the ancient Britons to the sun.
In Brittany the same game is played, and there the ball is
called Soule, derived, it is said, from the Celtic heaul, the
initial letter of which was changed into S by the Romans,
and signifies Sun. It is probable that cock-fighting on that
day was at an early period part of the sun worship. The
cock was the bird that proclaimed the rising sun, and is thus
alluded to in the " Voluspa :" —
" Crow'd his iEsir call,
Cock with the glistening crest:
He in Odin's hall
Wakes the brave from rest."
The crest of the helmit of the image which represented Odin,
was a cock, a device emblematical of vigilance, one of the attri-
iM:0 THE HISTOKY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
played between the married men and the single, the
one party playing east, and the other west. At two
o'clock the ball is thrown up at the cross, and then
a scene ensues that baffles description. Old and
young join in the contest as keenly as if a kingdom
were the prize of the victor. Will Faa, who long
reigned as gipsy king, was a celebrated ball player
in his day, and never failed to turn out with his
tribes on the occasion of the annual game. The
sports are continued till night puts an end to the
match, and then the combatants retire to the various
inns in the town, to partake of dumplings and pan-
cakes, prepared by the hostess, and served up gratis.
After the feast is over, the players and others who
may have joined them dance and drink till morning.
Foot-ball was a game very common on the Border
during the wars with England. When a foray was
butes of Odin. The nations which worshipped the sun sacrificed
this bird to that deity, because it was "sunnie, swifte, and very
prompt of flight and course, and so consequently an acceptable
offering to the sunne, the fbuntaine of light ; admirable for his
three qualities ; his luminous beauty ; his force and efficacy of
heat, and his promptitude of course." The bird is mentioned
by Solomon in his Book of Proverbs, as serving for the sym-
bol of power and strength. The cock mounted on his spurs,
says a learned writer, " chanteth victoriously by preference
over all creatures of the earth, so say the philosophers and
naturalists, God having given him such light and power ; as we
learn from the wise king of Edom, and mirror of patience,
the patriarch Job." Pythagoras speaks of the cock as sacred
to the sun and moon.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 241
contemplated into the neighbouring kingdom, a
match at foot-ball was got up, and under cover of
it, great numbers were assembled without suspicion
near the place where the Border line was intended
to be crossed. It was also usual for persons not
friendly to their own government to meet at foot-
ball, and talk treason without being suspected.
The Christmas festivities were many years ago
celebrated at Yetholm, much in the manner as in
Northumberland and Durham. Dancers, with hat,
sleeves, and buttonholes decorated with ribbons, went
in companies of sometimes a dozen, to exhibit their
skill in dancing, accompanied by a person called
Bessy with the besom, dressed in petticoats, and
disguised as an old woman ; and another called the
Fool, in grotesque costume. These two collected
donations from the bystanders, while the others
danced.
Kirk Yetholm has long been the abode of several
gipsy tribes. Various opinions are entertained as
to the origin of this race of people, who were once
so formidable, and infested most countries of Europe
and Asia. The exact year that the gipsies made
their appearance is not precisely known. In Turkey
they were seen about the beginning of the 15th
century, and so formidable were they, that the
Turks were glad to enter into a treaty with them,
and admit them to the same privileges which the
VOL. III. R
242 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
subjects of the Sultan enjoyed. They, however,
having been so long accustomed to a vagabond
rapacious life, and being unacquainted with the arts
of industry, began to have recourse to their former
mode of subsistence. For some time their outrages
were overlooked by the Turks, for fear of another
insurrection, but proving irreclaimable, they were
banished the land, and a power given to every man
to kill a Zingance or gipsy, or make him his slave,
if found in the territory of Egypt after a limited
time. Finding it impossible to maintain their
liberty at home,- they resolved to disperse into
foreign countries. About 1420, they appeared in
Germany, in various bands, under chiefs bearing
the titles of Dukes and Earls. They travelled as
smiths and tinkers, and others dealt in earthenware.
Out of this country they were banished in 1500.
In Bohemia and Hungary they assumed the charac-
ter of pilgrims, and received passes from the princes
through whose territories they travelled ; but their
morals not corresponding to the sanctity of that
character, and their numbers increasing by fresh
swarms from the east, they were banished out of
these kingdoms under severe penalties. They also
appeared in Spain at an early period, but were
banished therefrom in 1492. They were also driven
out of France in the years 1561 and 1612. In
England they appeared about the time they were
banished from Spain, and to such an extent did they
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 243
impose upon the credulity of the public by palmistry
or fortune-telling, that an act was passed in the
reign of Henry VIII., banishing them out of the
country, and any Egyptians found within the realm
after the space of a month, were to be adjudged
felons, and every person importing such Egyptians,
should forfeit for every offence forty pounds. But
this severe enactment not having the desired effect,
an amendment of the act was passed five years after
Elizabeth ascended the throne. In 1549, a search
was made through the county of Suffolk for " va-
gabonds, gipsies, conspirators, players," and such
like.
In Scotland these people are seen about the middle
of the 1 5th century, under the leadership of a person
sometimes styled King, Prince, Earl, and Captain.
In July 17th, 1492, there is an entry in the trea-
surer's books of a payment made to Peter Ker of
four shillings, to go to the king at Hunthall, to get
letters subscribed to the "King of Rowmais" Two
days after, a payment of twenty pounds was made
at the king's command to the messenger of the
"King of Rowmais." In 1502, the "Earl of Grece "
was paid 14s. at the king's command. In May,
1529, "King CristaVs" servant was paid <£20. In
1532, the "King of Cipre" got, at the command of
the king, <£*100. About 1506, the tribe was under
the government of Anthony Gawin, in whose favour
James IV. wrote a letter under his own hand to the
244 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
king of Denmark.* In the letter Anthony is styled
Earl of Little Egypt. After Anthony Gawin left,
the power seems to have fallen into the hands of
Johnnie Faa, also called Earl of Little Egypt. They
appear as dancers and minstrels, and as such often
performed before the court. In April, 1505, an
entry in the treasurer's books bears that 6s. were
paid to the Egyptians, at the king's command. In
May, 1529, another entry shows that they danced
before the king at Hallyrudhouse. It would appear
also, that the queen chose her handmaidens from
the gipsy bands. It is probable that the reason of
the gipsies rising to such high favour with James
IV. and his successor was on account of their skill
in dancing and music. When the kings of that
period travelled from one place to another in their
kingdom, or even on a pilgrimage to the shrine of
a saint, they were always accompanied by minstrels
and dancers, to beguile the way. James V. granted
special protection to Johnnie Eaa, and power to
him to administer justice upon his people, " conform
to the laws of Egypt." Several of the tribe having
rebelled in 1540, James V. interposed his authority
in support of the gipsy king.-)- In May, 1540, a
* Pinkerton's Hist, of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 444. Lond. Ed.
t " James, be the Grace of God, King of Scottis : To our
Sheriffs of Edinburgh, principal and within the Constabulary
of Haddington and Berwick, Provestes, Aldermen, and
13aillies of our burro wes and cities of Edinburgh, &c, greet-
EOXBUKGHSHIEE, ETC. 245
precept was granted in favour of John Wanne, son
and heir of the said Johnnie Fall, to hang and
otherwise punish all his Egyptian subjects within
the kingdom of Scotland. In 1541, the lords of
ing. Forasmeikle as it is humblie meanit and schewin to
us be owre lovite Johnnie Faa, Lord and Erie of Little
Egypt, that quhair he obtainet our Letters under our Grette
Seele, direct to zou, all and sindry our said Sheriffs, Stewartes,
Baillies, Provestes, Aldermen, and Baillies of burrowes, and
to all and sindry ayris havand autorite within our realme,
and to assist in the execution of justice upon his company
and folkis conforme to the laws of Egypt; and in punishing
of all yame that rebelles against him ; neveryeless as we are
informet, Sebastiane Calow, Egiptiane, of the saids John's
company, with his complices and partakeris underwrittin,
yat is to say, Anteane Dorea, Satona Fingo, Nova Tineo,
Philip Hatfeyggow, Jowla Bailzow, Grafto Neyn, Geleys
Bailzow, Bernard Beige, Denier Macskella, Nolfaw Cawlour,
Martin Zemine, rebelles and conspires agains the said Johnnie
Faa and has removit yame all uterly out of his company,
and taken fra him divers soumes of money, jevelles, claiths,
and oyrs gudis, to ye quantite of ane grete soume of money
and on na wyss will pass hame with him ; howbeit he has
bidden and remainet of lang time upoun yame, and is bunding
and obest to bring hame with him all yame of his company
yat are on live, and ane testimoneale of yame yat are deed;
and also ye said Johnnie has the said Sebastiane's obliga-
tioune maid in Dunfermling befor our maister housald yat
he and his company suld remane with him, and on na wyss
depert fra him, as the samin beiris incontrar ye tennor of ye
quhilk, ye said Sebastaine be sinister and wrang information
fals relatioun and circumventioun of us, hes purchest our
writings, discharging him, and ye remanent of the personis
above written, his complices and partakeris of the said John's
246 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
council, on considering the complaints given in by-
Johnnie Faa and his brother, and Sebastiane Low-
law, Egyptians, to the king, each against the others,
were ordered to depart the kingdom within thirty
company, and with his gudes takin be yame fra him, causus
certane our lieges assist to yame and yair opinionis and fortify
and take yair part agains ye said Johnnie, yair lord and
maister, sae yat he on nae wyss can apprehend nor get yame
to have yame hame againe within yair owin countre, after
the tenour of his said band, to his heavy dampnage and
skaith, and in grete perell of tynsall of his heretage, and expres
agains justice. Our will is heerfor, and we charge you
straitlie, and commans, yat incontinent yir our letters ze and
ilk ane of zou, and within ye bouns of zour offices command &
charge all our lieges yat nane of yame tak upoun hand to
reset, assyst, fortify, supple, mainteine, defend, or take pairt
with the said Sebastiane and his complices above written, for
na buddies, nor oyr way agains the said Johnnie Faa, yair
lord and maister, bot yat yai, and ze in likwys tak a lay
handis upoun yame quharevir yai may be apprehended, and
bring yame to him to be punist for yer demeretis, conforme
to his laws, and help and fortify him to punish and do jus-
tice upoun yame for yair tresspasses ; and to yat effect len
to him our personis, stokis, fetteris, and all oyer things neces-
sar yerto as ze and ilk ane of zou and all oyers our lieges
will answer to us yerupoun and under all hieast pene and
charge yat efter may follow ; swa yat the said Johnnie have
na cause of complaynt heirupoun in tyme cuming, nor to re-
sort to us agane to yat effect, notwithstanding ony our writ-
ings sinisterly purchest or to be purchest be the said Sebas-
tiane in the contrar. And als charge our lieges yat nane of
yame molest, vex, enquiet, or truble ye said Johnnie Faa
and his company in doing yair lefull bessynes or oyerwaiyes
within our realme, and in yair passing, remanyng, or away-
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 247
days after being charged so to do, under pain of
death.* In 1553, Queen Mary renewed the writ
granted in 1540 in favour of the gipsy king, and in
the end of the same year granted a respite to
Andrew Faa, captain of the Egyptians, George Eaa,
Eobert Faa, his sons, for the murder of Ninian
Smaill, one of his subjects, committed within the
town of Linton.-f* King James VI. thought very
differently of the subjects of John Faa: he declared
them to be vagabonds and thieves, and to be
punished as felons. In ] 609 they were ordered out
of Scotland under the description of sorcerers, vaga-
bonds, and common thieves, commonly called Egyp-
tians, with the penalty annexed, that if any of them
were found within the kingdom they might be
punished with death. In 1610, Elizabeth Warrock
was convicted of being a follower of the gipsies or
ganging furth of ye samin under the pane above written : and
siclike, yat ze command and charge all skippers, maisters,
and merinaris of all schippes within our reahne at all portes
and havyns quhair the said Johnnie and his company sal
happen to resort and cum to resavi him and yame yrin upoun
yair expenses for furing of yame furth of our realme to the
portes beyond sey ; as zou and ilk ane of yame sicklike will
answer to us yereupoun, and under the pane forsaid. Sub-
scrivit with our hand, and under our Privie Seele at Falk-
land the fiveteene day of Februar, and of our reign the 28
zeir."
* Acta Dom. Con. xv. 155.
t Keg. Sec. Sig. xxvii. 3.
248 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
jugglers. Next year, Moyses Faa, David Faa, and
Johnnie Faa, were indicted and accused for remain-
ing within the kingdom contrary to the statute ex-
pelling them from the country. At the trial, Moyses
Faa produced a licence to her by the Privy Coun-
cil ; but owing to the conditions under which it was
granted not being fulfilled, the court refused to
give it effect. They were all found guilty, and taken
to the Burrow Moor and hanged * In 1 6 1 6, Johnnie
Faa, James Faa, his son, Moyses Bailzie, and Helen
Brown, spouse to William Bailzie, Egyptians, were
charged with abiding within the kingdom contrary to
the laws. They were found guilty, and because they
could not find caution, were ordered to be taken to
the Burrow Moor and executed ; but the king granted
them a respite during pleasure. In 1624, Captain
Johnnie Faa,-(- Kobert Faa, Samuel Faa, Johnnie Faa,
* Pitcairn, vol iii. p. 99.
t This is the celebrated Captain John Faa, whom tradition
says ran away with Lady Jean Hamilton, spouse of John, the
sixth earl of Cassillis ; but, before the gipsy and his band
could reach the Border fastnesses, the earl overtook them, and
a battle ensued, in which he was victorious. It is said that he
carried back his frail spouse, and afterwards confined her in
a tower at Maybole, where eight heads carved in stone below
one of the turrets represented eight of the luckless Egyptians.
It is thought there is no truth in the tradition, at least in so
far as it relates that the lady of "the grave and solemn
Cassillis" eloped with the gipsy chief, who was hanged in
1624. The lady was born in 1607, and at the time of the
ROXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 249
Andrew Faa, William Faa, Robert Brown, and Gawin
Trotter, were convicted for remaining in the kingdom
contrary to the laws, and hanged on the Burrow Moor.*
Five days after, Helen Faa, relict of Captain Faa,
Lucretia Faa, spouse to James Brown, Elspeth Faa,
brother's daughter of the Captain, Catherine Faa,
relict to Edward Faa, Marionne Faa, spouse to James
Faa, Jeanie Faa, relict of Andrew Faa, Helen Faa,
relict of Robert Campbell, Margaret Faa, daughter of
the deceased Edward Faa, Isabel Faa, relict of Robert
Brown, Margaret Ballantyne, relict of Johnnie Faa,
Elspeth Faa, daughter of the deceased Henry Faa,
were tried and found guilty of contravening the
same act as their unhappy relations, and were con-
demned " to be taken to some convenient pairt and
drowned till they' be deed." This barbarous sentence
was not put into execution, the king having granted
a respite, on condition that they should leave the king-
alleged elopement could not be more than fifteen years of age.
But about that time a family of the name of Faa lived at
Dunbar, whose progenitors, by industry in trade and com-
merce, became wealthy and respected. It seems a member of
this family was knighted. With this family the Faas of
Yetholm claimed relationship. One of the Faas of Dunbar
contested the election of the Jedburgh district of burghs, in
1733. If an elopement really took place, as to which there
are grave doubts, it is more likely that the offender was the
rich, gay, and handsome Knight of Dunbar, and not a tat-
terdemalion gipsy.
* lb., vol. hi. p. 559.
250 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
doni by the following April * In 1636, Sir Arthur
Douglas of Quettinghame having taken some of the
vagabond and counterfeit thieves, called Egyptian, he
delivered them to the Sheriff of Edinburgh, within the
constabulary of Haddington, where they remained for
a month. The Privy Council, considering that" the
keeping of them longer within the tolbooth was a
burden on the town of Haddington, and fostered the
thieves in the opinion of impunity, and encouraged
the rest of the infamous " byke " to continue in the
thievish trade : " Thairfoir the Lords of Secret Coun-
sell ordens the Sheriff of Haddington, or his depute,
to pronunce doome and sentence of death aganis so
manie counterfoot theivis as ar men, and aganis so
manie of the weomen as wants children, oedaning
the men to be Hangit, and the weomen to be
Drowned; and that suche of the weomen as has
children to be Scourgit threw the burgh of Hadin-
ton, and burnt in the cheeke : and ordanis and com-
mandis the provost and bailies of Hadinton to cus
this doome to be execute upon the saidis persons
accordinglie." After the punishment of death in-
flicted on Captain Eaa and his gang, the records are
silent upon the transactions of these unhappy crea-
tures for many years. The next person that appears
as a chief of the tribe is Alexander Eaa, who was
killed at Romano, Peebleshire, in a fight between
* Pitcairn's Trials, vol. iii. pp. 560, 561.
KOXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 251
his tribe and that of the Schawes. Of the Fawes
there were four brothers and a brother's son ; of the
Schawes, the Captain, with his three sons ; and seve-
ral women on both sides. Old Faa and his wife were
killed on the spot, and his brother George danger-
ously wounded * For these murders, Robin Sehawe
and his three sons were tried, found guilty, and exe-
cuted at the Grassmarket in 1678. In 1714, Wil-
liam Walker, Patrick Faa, Mabel Stirling, Mary Faa,
Jean Ross, Elspeth Lyndsey, Joseph Wallace, John
Fenwick, Jean Yorkstone, Mary Robertson, Janet
Wilson, and Janet Stewart, were tried at Jedburgh,
and found guilty of wilful fire-raising, and of being
notorious Egyptians, thieves, vagabonds, and sor-
cerers, when they were banished to the plantations
in America, with the exception of Janet Stewart, who
was scourged through Jedburgh, and afterwards stood
a quarter of an hour with her left ear nailed to a
post at the cross. They were conveyed from Jed-
burgh to Glasgow in carts, with a guard, and in the
burgh books there is a receipt for their bodies by the
jailor of the tolbooth at Glasgow, f About the same
time, three men and two women of the tribe were
hanged at Edinburgh. In 1727, Geordie Faa, hus-
band of the notorious Jean Gordon, was killed at a
clan meeting at Huntlywood on Leader, by Robert
Johnstone. Johnstone was apprehended, and lodged
* Old Statistical Account. t Burgh Eecords.
2o2 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
in Jedburgh prison. He was afterwards tried, and
condemned to death, but, while lying under the sen-
tence, he contrived to break the prison, and escaped.
A traditionary tale is told of Jean Gordon, the relict
of the murdered man, that when the murderer escaped
out of jail, she followed him to Holland, and from
thence to Ireland, where she had him seized and
brought back to Jedburgh. But the tale is not true,
for, whatever revenge she felt against the slayer of
her husband, she had no share in his apprehension.
Eewards having been offered by the magistrates, the
officers of the law were on the alert, and in some
places too active, for in York a man was seized as
answering Johnstone's description, and lodged in jail
till a person could be sent from Jedburgh to identify
him. One of the magistrates accordingly went to
York, when he found the person detained upon sus-
picion not Johnstone. The right person was, how-
ever, detained at Newcastle, brought to Jedburgh,
and from thence carried to the Justiciary Court at
Edinburgh, where the identity was established, and
he was transmitted to Jedburgh to carry into effect
the original sentence. He was executed on the Gal-
lahill. In 1731, John Faa, William Faa, John Faa
alias Faley, Christian Stewart, and Margaret Young,
were tried at Jedburgh, and convicted of house and
shop-breaking, and of jail-breaking. In the summer
circuit of 1732, the celebrated Jean Gordon, com-
monly called " Dutchess/' presented a petition to the
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 253
justiciary court sitting at Jedburgh, setting forth
that she was indicted as an Egyptian, common vaga-
bond, and notorious thief; that she was old and
infirm, and had lain long in jail, and was willing to
enact herself to leave Scotland never to return.
" Her grace," says the reporter, " was banished accor-
dingly, with certification to be imprisoned for twelve
months, and scourged once a-quarter, in case of
return."* After being liberated, Jean left Scotland,
and wandered upon the English side of the Border.
Being at Carlisle on a fair-day, after the rebellion of
1745, she was seized by the mob for declaring her
partiality to the Jacobite cause, and ducked to death
in the river Eden. The murder was not easily accom-
plished, as Jean was a very powerful woman; and
whenever she got her head above water during the
struggle with her murderers, she screamed, " Charlie
yet ! Charlie yet /"-f- The year following Jean's sen-
tence of banishment, John Faa, "William Eaa, John
Faa, William Millar, Christian Young, and Elspeth
Anderson, were tried at Jedburgh for theft, and, with
the exception of Millar, received sentence of death.
Erom the rigorous enactments already noticed, and
the unrelenting severity with which they were ap-
plied, the gipsy settlement at Yetham is sufficiently
* Hume, vol. i. p. 474.
t Jean is the Meg Merrilees in " Guy Mannering : " Intro-
duction, p. xix. et seq.
254 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
accounted for. Being close to the Border, and in the
immediate neighbourhood of the Cheviot fastnesses,
rendered it a peculiarly eligible locality for the resi-
dence of these unfortunate people. On the executors
of the law of either kingdom attempting to enforce
obedience to the statutes, it was easy for the gipsies
to retire across the ideal line to the friendly side, or
penetrate the recesses of the Cheviot mountains, in
which they might mock the utmost efforts of their
pursuers. In these wilds they could have no diffi-
culty in procuring provisions from the numerous
herds of deer and other animals with which these
mountains then abounded. Following the range of
the Cheviot fells, they could make incursions into
the very heart of Northumberland, and, under cover
of the same wilds, they might travel to the west
seas. But although these people, from an early
period, concealed themselves near the Borders, it
does not appear that they had any fixed residence
at Kirk Yetham till a late period. Tradition bears
that the tribes became house-dwellers at this place in
consequence of one of their number saving the life of
Captain Bennet, proprietor of the barony of Yetham,
at the siege of Namur. The captain, while mount-
ing a breach, was struck to the ground, and his sup-
porters slain, with the exception of a gipsy of the
name of Young, who defended his officer with the
utmost gallantry till he gained his feet, then rushed
past him, mounted the wall, and seized the flag,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 255
which so encouraged the troops, that the attack was
renewed, the breach gained, and Namur taken. In
gratitude for this gallant act of the gipsy, it is said,
that David Bennet built cottages at Kirk Yetham,
and feued them out to the tribe, and from that time
they have continued to make the place their head-
quarters. Nisbet of Dirleton, the successor of Ben-
net, showed particular attention to the wanderers by
building additional cottages; and so highly did he
esteem them, and so certain was he of their support,
that he named them his bodyguard. After the
death of their patron and protector, the estate was
purchased by the trustees of the Marquis of Tweed-
dale, under whom they enjoy their cottages in peace.
While such kindnesses were heaped upon the gip-
sies by the possessors of the barony of Grubbet,
they were not allowed to place the soles of their feet
upon the barony of Town Yethom, belonging to
Wauchope of Niddrie.
The present strength of the various tribes in
Kirk Yetholm is about 80, consisting of the Blythes,
Kuthvens, Taits, and Douglases. The strong tribe
of the Faas, from whom the king was selected, is
now extinct. At the death of Will Faa, several
years ago, the throne was seized by Charles Blythe,
husband of Etty Faa, sister of the king. Before
the death of the late king, the revenue of the tribes
had decreased to such an extent, that his majesty
was forced to lay aside the diadem, and become, for
256 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
a time, the protector of game on several farms be-
longing to the Marquis of Tweeddale. He was an
excellent fisher, well acquainted with every pool and
stream in the Beaumont, Cayle, and Colledge waters.
By game-preserving and fishing, he contrived to
scrape together as much as supported life, and he was
well supplied with drink by visitors from every part
of the country, anxious to see those people who had
been rendered so interesting by the pen of the
mighty magician. But times are changed; visitors
are few to the present king, and but for the gene-
rosity of a noble Lord who occasionally resides in
the neighbourhood, his majesty would often be with-
out supplies. The king is about 85 years old, pos-
sesses a fair share of health, but complains that
living in houses subjects him to colds which he
never had while he dwelt in tents.
The chief employment of the gipsies was travel-
ling in the summer season in promiscuous bands.
They generally left their settlement at Kirk Yetholm
in the end of March, and did not return till driven
back by the storms of winter. Most of the men
assisted in the operations of the harvest, and in the
winter carted coals to Jedburgh. When out on the
rout, they lay beneath their carts, or upon straw
under wicker frames, with a cover which resisted the
weather. During their progress through the country,
they laid the farm-yards, corn, and potato fields,
under contribution to a great extent. They had a
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 257
perfect knack of thieving, and carried off every-
thing that came in their way — corn, hay, hewn
stones, wheels, and axletree. They may be said to
have lived in a complete state of ignorance, " with-
out God and without hope in the world," till the
Rev. John Baird was inducted into the pastoral
charge of the parish, when, through his efforts, they
were induced to attend church and school; and he
obtained from the Edinburgh Bible Society a grant
of Bibles and Testaments, which enabled him to
place a copy of the Scriptures in every gipsy dwell-
ing.
A few of the gipsies still travel the country, deal-
ing in earthenware, horn spoons, baskets, heather
brooms, and mats; but the strictness with which
they are watched by the police, prevents any exer-
cise of their thieving talents. From the improved
state of the district, there are few waste places for
them to pitch their camp, and the raising of a fire
on the roadside is certain to be visited with a fine
and imprisonment. They cannot now remain in
idleness, and are forced to apply themselves to some
occupation to procure daily bread. A number of
the men have become labourers, and, mixing with
the population, acquire better habits, and marry out
of their tribe. The gipsy girls, too, are beginning
to leave their tribe, and to engage as domestic
servants and bondagers, and occasionally marry
VOL. III. S
258 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
farm-servants] The houses are now more comfort-
able; instead of the stone and straw beds, stools,
chairs, tables, and the ordinary country beds are to
be seen in many of their dwellings. There can be
little doubt that the original race is fast falling off,
and that ere many years run their course, the ori-
ental blood will have ceased to flow. The days of
the gipsy have passed away.
The Barony of Town Yetholm. — With the ex-
ception of a small portion of land on the south of the
Beaumont Water, this barony lies on the north of
the beautiful vale through which this stream flows.
In 1495, the Earl of Both well got a charter of Town
Yetham, with the patronage of the church. In
1523, George Butherfurd, heir-apparent of John
Kutherfurd of Hundolee, was possessed of the ten-
pound lands of Town Yetham. At the close of the
16th century, Gilbert Ker of Primsideloch, Eliza-
beth Edmonstone, his wife, and their third son,
got a charter of the demesne lands of Town
Yetham* In 1585, James VI. and his parliament
ratified an infeftment in favour of Francis, Earl of
Bothwell, of " all and haill the landis and baronie of
Town Yethame, with towns, pairtis, dependencies,
pendecilis, annexis, outsettis, mylnis, tennetis, tenan-
driis, etc."f In 1608, John Ker of Hirsel obtained
* Reg. Mag. Sig. t Acta Pari., vol. iii. p. 40D.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 259
a charter of the baronies of Maxton, Linton, and
Town Yetham.* Three years afterwards, Gilbert
Ker of Lochtour, his eldest son, was in possession of
Lochtour. f In 1624, John Ker of Lochtour suc-
ceeded his brother Kobert in the lands of Town
Yetham..{ Ten years after, the barony passed into
the family of Buccleuch.§ In 1643, John Wau-
chope of Niddrie got a charter of the tennandrie of
Town Yetham. || In 1662, Sir John obtained a new
charter of all and haill the town and lands of
Sunnyside, Wideopen, Stankford, and Boghouse,
with houses, yards, tofts, and crofts, which formerly
belonged to Sir John Ker, and formed part of the
barony of Lochtour, " of late called Town Yetham;"
also all and sundry the town and mains of the barony
of Town Yettoun, milne and milne lands, and the
patronage of the kirk of Town Yettoun; the lands
of Bennetsbank ; the lands of Shirrietrees ; the lands
of Hayhope ; half of the husbandland called the Closs
and Butterbrae, being a pendicile of the land of
Hayhope, with pasturages and privileges according
to wont, in the bounds of Town Yettoun; the
haugh called Little Eoughhaugh ; the lands of Easter
and Wester Eysides ; four husbandlands of Baltrees ;
which charter contained an erection of said lands,
* Acta Pari., vol. iii. p. 409.
t lb. ; Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. iii. p. 538.
% Retours, No. 123. § lb., No. 154. || Reg. Mag. Sig.
260 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
town, mains, and barony of Town Yettoun, Shirry-
trees, and Little Roughhaugh into one barony, to
be called in all time coming the barony of Lochtour,
for the yearly payment of thirty pounds. In 1672,
the charter was ratified by Parliament.* In 1683,
James Wauchope, born of the marriage between his
father and the widow of Sir John Ker of Lochtour,
claimed the estate of Lochtour in right of his mother.-f-
The family of "Wauchope is still in possession of the
barony of Yetham. The principal messuage of the
barony was Lochtour, built on an island in Yetholm
Loch, connected with the land by a causeway. This
was the Avenel Castle of the " Monastery," described
as occupying "a small rocky islet in a mountain
lake or tarn, as such a piece of water is called in
Westmoreland. The lake might be about a mile in
circumference, surrounded by hills of considerable
height, which, except where old trees and brushwood
occupied the ravines that divided them from each
other, were bare and heathy. The surprise of the
spectator was chiefly excited by finding a piece of
water situated in that high and mountainous region,
and the landscape around had features which might
rather be termed wild than either romantic or
sublime ; yet the scene was not without its charm.
Under the burning sun of summer, the clear azure of
the deep unruffled lake refreshed the eye, and im-
* Acta Pari, vol. viii. pp. 106, 107. t Burke, vol. ii. p. 1539.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 261
pressed the mind with a pleasing feeling of deep soli-
tude. In winter, when the snow lay on the moun-
tains around, these dazzling masses appeared to
ascend far beyond their wonted and natural height,
while the lake, which stretched beneath and filled
their bosom with all its frozen waves, lay like the
surface of a darkened mirror around the black and
rocky islet and the walls of the grey castle with
which it was crowned."* The fortress is now
removed, and in its place is a comfortable house for
the farmer of the baronial lands. Although the lake
has been greatly lessened by drainage since the
day Sir Walter Scott penned the above description,
it is still an extensive and lovely sheet of water. In
its northern margin, a beautiful mansion has in the
course of the present year been erected by Eobert
Oliver, owner of the estate of Lochside.
Town Yetholm, now the principal place of the
barony, stands on the left bank of the Beaumont,
forming the southern base of Yetholm Law. It is a
regularly built village, containing the parish school-
house, a ladies' school, a Free church, and a dissent-
ing meeting-house. The village was at one time
deemed unhealthy and liable to epidemic diseases,
owing to an extensive morass on the east of the vil-
lage, and which encircled Yetholm Law ; but a drain
* " Monastery," vol. ii. p. 85.
262 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
was carried up the middle of the marsh, and the
stagnant pool is now converted into excellent land.
Last year, a good supply of water was brought to
the town from a neighbouring height. There is little
trade in the town. It has two fairs in the year, and
what is termed a high market after each term of
Martinmas and Whitsunday. It formerly had a
market on the Wednesday, but it has long ceased to
exist. It is governed by a baron baillie.
Cheeeyteees, the property of Adam Brack Boyd,
occupies a very lovely situation on the east side of
the vale, which extends from Beaumont, round
Yetholm Law, to Prim side. The house is small but
handsome, and the grounds around are adorned with
wood. Part of this estate seems at one time to have
formed part of the barony of Lochtour. In 1523, it
was the property of George Eutherfurd, son and heir
of John Rutherford of Hundolee. A family of Tait
seems to have possessed part of the estate before
] 605. At that time, William Tait is designed " of
Cherrytrees/' in a criminal libel at his instance
against James Tait of Kelso, for the murder of his
son on the green at Cherrytrees. The charge was,
that the said James Tait of Kelso, with his accom-
plices, armed with swords, steel bonnets, lances, and
pistols, came to the green of Cherrytrees, where the
deceased was, and slew him. The jury found the
said James Tait to be "cleane innocent and acquit
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 203
of airt and pairt of the said slauchter." The jury
consisted of John Mow of that Ilk, who was chan-
cellor; Thomas Ker of Pryoraw; Thomas Tait of
Hoill, and John Riddell, younger, of that Ilk, and
the remainder of feuars. According to the practice
of that period, the jury were taken from the neigh-
bourhood where the panels dwelt, however distant,
that they might be tried by their neighbours. In
1624, it belonged to John Ker of Lochtour. In
1 665, it was the property of William Ker. In 1 684,
Ker, the laird of Cherry trees, was accused, along
with the lairds of Brodie and Grant, Craufurd of
Ardmillan, Elliot of Stobs, and others, of conspiring
against the succession of the Duke of York. In 1 672,
part of it was granted to Wauchope of Niddrie. In
the end of last century it was the property of a family
of Murray. The estate has been greatly improved
since the present owner came into possession. The
small estate of Thirlestane is now included in the
estate of Cherrytrees. This property appears to have
belonged to the Kers of Lochtour; at all events, it
was the property of Sir Andrew Ker of Greenhead
before 1661, when it was purchased by James Scott,
brother-german of Sir William Scott of Harden.
One of the lairds of Thirlestane was a physician to
Charles II., and distinguished as a chemist. The
old mansion-house of Thirlestane stood near Loch-
tour, in the centre of the vale where it bends
around Yetham Law ; but it was pulled down above
264 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
twenty years ago. One of the rooms in the house
was called the " Warlock's room/' and is supposed
to have been the laboratory of the learned doctor.*
In this family was long preserved a prototype of the
Poculum Potatorium of the Baron Bradwardine, in
the form of a jack-boot. "Each gnest was obliged
to empty this at his departure. If the guest's name
was Scott, the necessity was doubly imperative/'")"
The family is now represented by William Scott Ker
of Sunlaws. In the beginning of the present cen-
tury, Thirlestane was possessed by George Walker
and George Douglas.
King Edward was at Yetham for two days in
1 304, on his way to England. It is said by Frois-
sart and others, that the Scottish army, under James,
Earl of Douglas, assembled at Yetham in 1338, be-
fore the battle of Otterburn ; but this is a mistake,
as that gallant army mustered in Jedforest, at Sudon
or Southdean. The army could not have met here,
as the whole line of forts, from Berwick to Jedburgh,
were in the hands of the English. Douglas entered
England by the Watling-street, and Albany by the
Maidenway.j In 1523, the Earl of Surrey, while on
his way to destroy Linton and Cessford, razed Loch-
tour, near which he had lodged for the night. The
two Yethams, with Cherrytrees, Barears, the Bogge,
* New Statistical Account.
t Note to chapter xi. of " Waverley," vol. i. p. 114.
% Vol. ii. p. 238.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 265
Longhouse, Fowmerdon, and Hayhope were destroyed
by Hertford in 1545. In 1745, a party of High-
landers marched through the village of Yetholm, up
the Beaumont Water, to receive some supplies of
money remitted from France, and entrusted to the
care of Charles Selby of Earl. The minister of Yet-
holm, in his account of the parish, states that " an
old man, lately deceased, in Town Yetholm, distinctly
remembered having seen these Highlanders passing
his father's house *
A number of persons have borne the surname of
Yetham. Adam of Yetham is a witness to charters
in the reigns of William the Lion and Alexander
II.-)- Eeginald of Yetham appears about the same
period. William of Yetham lived in 1296. J William
of Yethame was archdeacon of Teviotdale between
1321 and 1326.§
MoLLE,|| Mow.^[ — This territory owes its name-
to the Cambro-British people, and intended to de-
scribe a mountainous tract, abounding with hills of a
round form, — Mole signifying a round or conical hill.
The territory of Molle is bounded on the south
* New Statistical Account.
t Lib. de Melrose, pp. 130, 131, 239.
X Ragman's Rolls, p. 128.
§ Regist. of Glasg., pp. 228, 233. Lib. de Dryburgh, p. 275.
|| Circa 1124-1500. Lib. de Mailros; Lib. de Calchou.
IF Circa 1536; Criminal Trials; Reg. Mag. Sig.
266 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and south-west by the march line between England
and Scotland, beginning at a place called the Black
Hag on the east, and ending where the boundary of
Hownam meets the English border on the south-
west. On the east it was bounded by the parish of
Morebattle, of which it now forms a part. The
march line left the English border near the Black
Hag, at a place where Northumberland slightly in-
dents itself into Roxburghshire, and from thence to
the source of Altonburn. The burn then formed
the boundary till it reached the water of Beaumont,
which it crossed, and then ran in a straight line by
the east side of a place then called Hulaweshou* to
the base of Hunedune,^ where it met the Hownam
boundary, and along that line to the English border.
The whole of the territory is mountainous. On the
west, a ridge of hills runs from Hownman on the
Cayle Water into Northumberland, forming the table
land between Coquetdale and the vale of Beaumont.
From this chain on the north, is a tract of hills
running eastward, and dividing the vales of Cayle
and Beaumont, and another chain of summits on
the south wends eastward, separating the vale down
which Colledge Water rushes from Beaumont. Be-
tween these two chains of mountains is the vale of
Beaumont, extending from the ridge running north
and south eastward by Yetholm to the English bor-
* Ellisheugh. t Hounamlaw.
E0XBUKGHSH1KE, ETC. 267
der. In the centre of this vale flows the Beaumont
Water, dividing the territory into nearly two equal
divisions. The mountains afford the finest pasture
for sheep, and the valley produces excellent crops.
This territory originally formed a part of ancient
Northumbria, and was granted, with other lands
and towns on the Beaumont, to Lindisfarne, during
the seventh century. During the reign of Alexan-
der I., it was possessed by a person of the name of
Liulf. After his death, Uctred, his son, succeeded
to the territory, and who, before the year 1153,
granted to the monks of Kelso the church of Molle,
with land lying adjacent, as bounded by him and
Aldred the dean.* From Uctred the land passed
to Eschena de Londoniis — called Lady Eschena
of Molle ; but the connexion between her ladyship
and Uctred does not clearly appear. She was mar-
ried first to Walter, the first steward of Scotland.
This Walter, the husband of Eschena of Molle, was
a younger son of Alan, who was the son of Elaald,
a Norman, who acquired the estate of Oswestrie in
Shropshire, soon after the conquest. William, the
brother of Walter, added the estate of Clune, in the
same shire, to Oswestrie, by marrying the heiress,
Isabel de Say, and John Fitzallan, by marrying the
third sister of the third Earl of Arundel, who died in
1196 without issue, became fourth Earl of Arundel,
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 144.
268 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and removed to Sussex. Both brothers espoused the
cause of the Empress Maud, niece of David I., against
Stephen, and after the siege of Winchester, Walter
followed David into Scotland, and obtained from
him large possessions in the shires of Renfrew, East
Lothian, and Kyle* Malcolm IV. granted to Wal-
ter the lands of Birchinside and Lep-o-ardewdede in
Berwickshire, and also the territory of Molle by its
right bounds, and with all its just pertinents, to him
and his heirs in fee and heritage, for a knight's ser-
vice.f- The charter is dated at Roxburgh, and the
witnesses are Ernald, bishop of St. Andrew; Herbert,
bishop of Glasgow ; John, abbot of Kelso ; William,
abbot of Melrose ; Osbert, abbot of Jedburgh ; Wal-
ter, the chancellor; William, the king's brother;
* A number of persons of rank followed Walter to Scot-
land, and obtained from him grants of land. Robert de
Mundegumeri, a younger son of Roger, the Earl of Shrews-
bury, got from Walter the manor of Eglesham, which is still
enjoyed by his descendant, the Earl of Eglinton. Robert
was the first Montgomery who settled in Scotland. The
family of Wallace were vassals of Walter. It is said the
Boyds owe their origin to Simon, a brother of Walter, who
had followed him to Scotland.
t Acta Pari., vol. i. p. 83. " Molle per rectas devisas suis
et cum omnibus justis suis pertinentiis Tenendam et haben-
dam sibi et heredibus suis de me et heredibus meis in feodo et
hereditate ita libere et quiete plenarie et honorifice sicut
aliquis comes vel baro in regno Scotie terram aliquam de me
liberius quietus plenius et honorificentius tenet et possidet
faciendo de predictis terris mihi et heredius meis servitium
unius meletis."
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 269
Richard, the constable ; Gilbert of Umphrmville ;
Waldevo, son of Earl Cospatric, and Jordan Riddell.
Walter died in 1177,* leaving, by Eschina, a son,
Alan, who succeeded to the estate and the office of
Steward of Scotland, and whose lineal descendant,
Robert the Steward, became king of Scotland in
1371. After the death of Walter, his widow mar-
ried Henry of Molle, by whom she had four daugh-
ters, Margaret, Eschina, Avicia, and Cecilia. She
died about 1200, and shortly after the De Vescis
appear as over lords of the territory. Lady Cecilia
married Simon Maleverer, but no information exists
to show what became of her three sisters. During
the lifetime of Cecilia, Sir Gilbert Avenel appears
in possession of portions of the estate of Molle, upon
which he had built a hall.-f- Chalmers states that
Cecilia was married to Robert, a younger son of
Gervase Avenel, and that Gilbert was the issue of
that union. Morton, author of the "Monastic Annals,"
takes the same view, but both are undoubtedly mis-
taken. The charters in favour of the monks at
Kelso prove that Cecilia was married to Simon Mal-
verer, and that at the period these grants were made
by her with consent of her husband, the lands con-
veyed are described as being bounded by the pro-
* Chron. Mail., p. 88. " Walterius filius Alani dapifer
regis Scottorum familiaris noster deim obiit cujus beata
anima vivat in gloria."
+ Lib. de Calchou, p. 29.
270 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
perty of Gilbert Avenel. Gilbert may have been
her nephew, but her son he could not be. At the
death of Cicilia, about 1250, the family became ex-
tinct, and the lands not gifted to the monks devolved
upon the said Gilbert Avenel, but who does not
seem long to have enjoyed them, as they were in
the hands of Sir John Halyburton, whose daughter,
Johanna, carried the estates to Adam of Eoule,
whom she married after the death of her first hus-
band, Ralph Wyschard* About the end of the
thirteenth century, those lands were possessed by
Alexander Molle, and, in the beginning of the next
century, by John Molle. Before 1357, the lands
* The Halyburtons were a Berwickshire family, and derived
their name from the town, i.e., Haly-burg-tun, signifying the
holy fortlet and village. John Halyburton, who was the second
son of Sir Adam, married a daughter of William de Vaus.
Her father dying without issue, his great estates were carried
by her into the family of Halyburton. In 1392, Sir Walter
Halyburton, the grandson of that marriage, succeeded his
father in the estate of Dirlton, and in the beginning of the
next century, succeeded his cousin, Sir John Halyburton, in
the estate of Halyburton. Sir Walter married a daughter of
Kegent Albany, and became a peer by the title of Lord
Halyburton of Halyburton. After various transmissions, the
estates and title came to Patrick, Lord Halyburton, who
died in 1506, leaving three daughters, who carried the estates
to Lord Kuthven, Lord Home, and to Ker of Faudenside.
Patrick Halyburton was married to a daughter of Patrick,
Lord Hailes, celebrated for his defence of Berwick Castle in
1482, against Albany and Gloucester. The sister of Patrick's
wife, Euphemia, married Andrew M'Dougal of Makerston.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 271
seem to have been in the keeping of John de Cope-
land, probably Edward's sheriff of the county, and
about that date all the lands and tenements in Auld-
townburn, with their pertinents, which formerly be-
longed to Adam of Eoule, were resigned by Cope-
land in favour of John Ker of the forest of Selkirk.
In 1358, the same John Kerr, on the resignation of
William of Blackdeane, of part of the lands of Mow
and Auldtownburn, obtained a charter in favour of
himself and Mariote his spouse, of the said lands
and others. These lands were confirmed to him by
Archibald, Earl of Douglas, his superior. In 1474,
the lands of Altonburne, as part of the barony of
Cessford, were resigned to James III. by Andrew
Ker of Cessford, and granted by that king to Wal-
ter Ker, his son. In 1481, the same Walter resigned
the lands to the king, who granted them again to
him in heritage, with remainder in succession to his
brothers, Thomas, William, and Kalph, and the heirs
of Andrew Ker.* In 1 542, these lands were granted
by James V. to Walter Ker of Cessford, for services
against the English, and a sum of money paid to
the king's treasurer, f The lands are now possessed
by the Duke of Eoxburghe.
In 1490, Eobert Mow resigned the town and
demesne lands into the hands of James IV., who
granted them to John Mow, the brother of Kobert.
* Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. vii. No. 286; lib. ix. No. 62. t lb.
272 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
In 1536, John Molle of that Ilk, William Douglas
of Bonne-Jedburgh, Thomas MacDougall of Mac-
caristoune, found caution to the extent of 1000 merks
each, to underlye the law at the next justiceaire
of Jedburgh, for oppression and hamesucken done
to the dean of Murray.* In May, 1541, at the
court at Jedburgh, John Mow of that Ilk, William
Stewart of Traquair, Walter Ker of Cessford, Kobert
Scott of Howpeslat, and Gilbert Ker of Greenhead,
became cautioners for John Johnstone of that Ilk,
to the extent of L.10,000.-|- In the same year, John
Mow, and twenty-nine others, got a respite for three
years, for art and part in the slaughter of William
Burn, son to Robert Burn, in Primsideloch, at the
Kirk of Mow. J In 1575, the laird of Mow fell at
the raid of the Redswyre.§ In 1606, William Mow
was served heir to his father, James Mow, in the
lands of Mow-mains, extending to six mercat lands. ||
In 1618, John Mow was served heir to his father
in the lands of Mow.^] In 1631, Gilbert Mow was
served heir to his father in the lands of Mow-mains.**
In 1636, John Mow of that Ilk was served heir to
* Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. p. 176.
t lb., p. 230. t lb., p. 257.
§ Border Minstrelsy : —
" Scotland has cause to mak great sturt,
For laiming of the laird of Mow."
|| Pvetours, 44. % lb., 94. ** lb., 145.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 273
John Mow of the eleven-mercat lands and twenty-
pound lands of Mow, called Mow-town and Mow-
mains.*
About 1165, Anselm of Whitton, afterwards styled
of Molle, appears to have been in possession of a
part of the territory of Molle. He left two daugh-
ters, Matildis and Isolde. The former married
Richard of Lincoln, and the other, Alexander, said to
be the son of William, who was the son of Edgar,
and between these two ladies the estate of Anselm
was divided at his death. It is difficult to ascertain
the portion possessed by Anselm, but so far as can
be gathered by grants from him to the monastery of
Kelso, it lay on the east of Ernbrandsdene, as far as
the ford of the river ; and upwards towards Hune-
dune; all Hulasheshou, Ladhladde, Thueles, Molle-
hope,-f- &c.
The monks of Kelso had at a very early period
considerable possessions in this territory, independent
of the land which they held in name of the church.
Lady Eschina of Molle granted to the abbey the
lands of Hethou, bounded, " as the water descends
from the fountain called Bradestrother, between
Hethou and Eaveside, and as far as the rivulet
which descends from Westerhethoudene ; along that
rivulet as far as the passage of the upper ford of the
* Ketours, 145. t Supposed to be the present Mowhaugh.
VOL. III. T
2/4 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
same rivulet, next to Crag, and so across Hathou-
dene, eastwards, as the crosses have been placed, and
the ditches have been made, and the furrow has been
drawn, and the stones have been set, as far as the
rivulet of Easter Hethou ; and from the ford of the
same rivulet ascending as the wood and arable land
meet above Halreberge, and so eastward, as far as
Grenelle, near the white stone, as far as the foresaid
head of the fountain of Bradestrother ; with a cer-
tain portion of land beyond the rivulet of Hethou,
westwards as far as Blyndwell, as the meadow and
arable land meet, descending as far as the foresaid
rivulet of Hethou/'* This land afforded pasture
for 400 sheep, 16 cattle, 2 work-horses, and 12 swine.
About 1198, she also granted them "pasture for
twenty cows and their calves, till the latter were
grown up, and also one bull, part of a meadow which
lay between Eddredesete and the rivulet of Kuhope,
as far as the water of Blakepool ; and that portion
of land which lay above the bank of the Bolbent,
opposite Blakepool ; and the croft lying on the north
side of the house of William the Forester, under the
hill, and gave up every claim which she might have
on the mill."*f* Before 1249, her daughter Cecilia,
with the consent of her husband, gave them the toft
and croft which belonged to William of Mollehope,
(Mowhaugh), on the moors near to the outlet at
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 146. t lb., p. 130.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 275
Whitelaw, on the English border; and 26 acres
of the demesne lands of Molle, which were arable,
viz., in Hauacres, from the land of Gilbert Avenel,
eastward, nine acres, with half-an-acre near the
rivulet of Altouneburne ; two acres in Persouthside,
and one acre next to the outlet which led to Per-
south; one acre on the west side of Benlawe; nine
acres and a rood in Dederig, which lay in detached
portions between Altouneburne and the two crosses
on the ascent to the south, and below a little hill ;
three acres next to the lands of the monks ; one rood
and all her share of the hill, and half-an-acre in Kydel-
lawes croft : in Haustrother, eight acres of meadow,
four of which lay between Hauacres and the furrow
which separated the meadow from the meadow of
Gilbert Avenel, and four acres of meadow below
Persouthswire; thirteen acres of land in her demesnes,
that is to say, her whole part of Mollestelle, which
contained four acres and a half; and her part of the
land which lay next the rivulet, descending from
Brademedue, as far as the Bolbenth; half-an-acre
called Crokecroft next the road to Persouth ; two
acres and a half between her sheepfold next to the
outlet towards Persouth, as you ascend; and three
acres in the tilth next to Persouth, excepting the
tilth of Gilbert Avenel ; and all her part of Brade-
medue, with pasture for 300 sheep, 10 cattle, 4
horses everywhere on the pasture of her lands; and
her sheepfold near Aultonburne, and free passage to
27(5 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
the monks and their men. The monks were also to
have liberty to take from the woods of Persouth
materials necessary to make their ploughs and
fences* Sir Gilbert Avenel, after the death of
Lady Cecilia, confirmed said grants; and Eustace de
Vesci, the over lord of Molle, at the request of Sir
Gilbert, confirmed the monks in all their posses-
sions.-)* These grants were also confirmed by Pope
Innocent IV., before 1254.+ In 1270, Henry of
Halyburton confirmed all previous grants. About
1 300, Adam de Eoule and his wife Johanna, daugh-
ter of the said Henry Halyburton, granted the
monks " four acres of land in the tenement of
Molle, which lay in the upper part of Stapelaw,
to be held so as they were not entitled to claim
any commonty within their demesne lands of
Molle, for which grant the monks received the
grant-era into their brotherhood and participa-
tion in their prayers, and engaged to celebrate
one mass weekly for their souls.§ About 1190,
Anselm of Molle granted to the same monks " all
the land and meadow and wood in the territory of
Molle, which was on the east side of Erndbrandes-
dene — namely, from the bounds of the lands of the
monks of Mailros, by the direct path as far as Ernd-
brandesdene, and as far as the ford of Bolbent, which
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 118, 120, 141. t lb., p. 139.
t lb., pp. 351, 352. § lb.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 277
included all the lands and the wood and meadow
which extended from these bounds to the eastward,
as far the bounds of the church-lands of Molle, and
upwards towards Hunedune; all Hulcheshou, in
wood, plain, and pasture, except one acre of land
which he gave to Walter the Mason.* From
Richard, the son of the said Ansel me, they got the
tilth of Ladladde, containing eight acres and a rood.
Richard of Lincoln confirmed the grant, and added
an acre of land. About 1 200, Isolde, daughter of
Anselm, with consent of her husband, gave the
monks an oxgang of land which lay on the east side
near the land which Henry the Fat held of Richard
Scott, with the pertinents thereof. In 1255, Richard,
the son of Richard of Lincoln, gave them twenty
acres of arable land and meadow in Mollehope, which
the canons of Jedworde held of him in ferme, and
pasture for sixty sheep and four cows, wheresoever
they pleased, in all his lands of Molle, except corn-
land and meadow, for the term of ten years after
Whitsunday, 1258, for ten merks yearly. In 1260.
Matildis, wife of Richard of Lincoln, in her free
widowhood, " forgave to the monks all causes and
complaints which she had or could have against
them, their men, and their servants/' She also
granted the monks all the lands which they held in
ferme from her late husband in Molle, to possess the
* Lib. deCaichou, pp. 12, 123.
278 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
same without claim or hinderance, on the condition
that they should find her son William in victuals,
along with the better and more worthy scholars in
their poor's-house, as long as they retained the said
lands in their hands *
The monks of Maileos also obtained valuable
grants in this manor. Anselm of Molle, before 1 185,
granted them his whole petary, which was between
Mollehope, Bereop, and Herdstrete, which separated
the lands of Molle from Hunum and his wood of Mol-
lope, as much brushwood as one horse could carry
to their grange of Hunedune, every year between
Easter and the Nativity of St. Mary.-j- He granted
them also the land and meadows which he and the
nephew of Robert Avenel perambulated. He also
granted to them that portion of land in the territory
of Molle which was next their land on the south of
the hill of Hunedune, and on the east bounded by
the road from that hill to Molle, which road lay
between the foresaid land and the church-lands of
Molle, as far as a fountain on the west side of the
same road — from thence along the side of Kippe-
moder, as far as certain large stones of the old
building, which stood upon a small ridge on the
south side of the land called Cruche. Afterwards,
the boundary descended along the same ridge to the
south side of the same Cruche, as far as the rivulet
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 142. t Lib. de Mail., p.p. 126, 127.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 279
between the lands of Hunum and Molle.* Before
1218, these grants were confirmed by the over lord,
Eustace de Vesci. In 1236, Walter, the son of
Allan, who was the son of the first Walter the
Stewart, granted to the same monks all the lands in
Molle which he had in the fief of Sir William de
Vesci, and all rights competent to him, in exchange
for Freertun, which formerly belonged to the nuns
of Southberwick, with 200 merks in boot. About the
same time, Alexander II. erected the lands which
the monks held in Molle into a free forest. -f- The
monks also purchased Hungerigge, about 1258, from
Adam of Hetune. About 1285, William of Sproves-
ton gave the monks of Mailros that part of the lands
of Altonburne which he had obtained from John de
Vescy, his over lord.i They also had the lands of
Uggings.
The monks of Paisley, about 1 157, obtained from
the wife of Walter the Stewart a ploughgate of land
in the west part of Blackdene, according to the boun-
daries measured to them at her command by Eldief,
provost (prepositus) of the town of Moll, viz., as
the Stelnaburn falls into the Blackburn, and along
that stream as far as two stones lying near the bank
opposite the house of Ulf the steward, on the west ;
as far up as a certain ditch, and two stones standing
in that ditch ; from these stones as far as another
* Lib. de Mail., p. 129. t lb., p. 263. J lb., p. 307.
280 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
ditch heaped with stones, to another ditch also
heaped with stones, and from thence to Heselensahe,
which goes as] far as the ford of the torrent of
Alembarke ; from thence to the ford of Stelanbum,
and down that stream to the Blackburn ; four acres
and three roods in the town of Molle, with common
pasture belonging to one ploughgate. She also
granted them pasture for 500 sheep.* The monks
let their ploughgate to Robert Maleverer, for pay-
ment of half-a-merk of silver. At Paisley, Robert
III., in 1396, granted to the monks the lands which
they held in this territory, as part of the regality of
Paisley.
The canons of Jedburgh only held twenty acres in
this territory, till 1255, when they were granted to
the monks of Kelso, as above stated.
Robert Croc, who followed Walter the Stewart in-
to Scotland, and obtained from him Crocs-town, pos-
sessed the lands of Hungerigge in Molle, which was
granted to him by Lady Eschina, with all its perti-
nents, liberties, and easements. The estate was given
with his daughter Isabel in marriage to Robert Polloc,
and about 1 300, was granted by Isabel to Simon of
Lyndesay, with consent of her husband and advice of
her father, for payment of ten shillings yearly to her-
self, and " an aerie of young hawks to Lady Eschina
and her heirs." The lands were afterwards granted by
* Regist. de Pass., pp. 24, 75.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 281
Simon of Lyndesay to Helen, his daughter, and before
1238, the said Helen and her husband, Adam of
Hetun, sold the same lands and a meadow called
Holmedeto the monks of Kelso, for ^10 sterling and
10s. yearly, to Isabel, the daughter of Kobert Croc,
and her heirs* Simon Lyndesey seems also to have
been owner of other lands in Molle, which he derived
from his mother. -f* He granted to his man Patrick
six acres of land, an acre of meadow, an acre and
a half in toft and croft, and one acre of meadow
below Chestres, and above Selestede Ade ; two acres,
and a half to be held of him in fee and heritage, for
payment to him and his heirs of one pound of
cumin, or threepence, at the Festival of St. James. J
* Lib. de Maiiros, pp. 257, 258.
t The surname of Lindsay is derived from the manor of
Lindsay in Essex. Walter Lindsay and William Lindsay,
two brothers, came into Scotland while David was Prince of
Cumberland. William witnessed the Inquisitio Davidis in 1 1 1 6.
He is a witness to the charter of the Prince to the monks of
Selkirk. They seem to have been constantly about David
after he ascended the throne, and from him received grants of
lands in Clydesdale and in the Lothians. Between 1189 and
1199, William Lindsay, the son of William, was Justiciary
of Lothian. In the progress of time, branches of the family
settled in Fifeshire and Berwickshire. A William de Lind-
say held the lands of Earlston under the Earl of Dunbar. He
granted land in Earlston and in Caddesley to the monks of
Dryburgh, and he granted the patronage of the church of
Earlston to the monks of Kelso.
% Lib. de Mailros, pp. 131, 132.
282 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
During the 13th century, Vedastus of Jedde-
word was infeft in part of Swynesdene which he
held of the monks of Melros. A person of the name
of Simon possessed part of Blackdene. Before 1 279,
John de Vescy granted to William of Sproveston,
chaplain, all the land which belonged to Amicia
de Capella, in the town of Molle, the chief messuage
there, and with the born slaves, their followers, and
their cattle, with pertinents and services of freemen,
to be held by him, his heirs, and assignees, except-
ing religious men, for payment of one suit thrice in
the year at the head court of Sproveston. All the
land belonging to William in Molle was erected into a
free forest, for him and his heirs, by the same John de
Vescy. About 1285, William granted these lands,
half of the mill, half of the services of the lands
held by Thomas Palmer, half of the services of
the lands of Yedast of Jeddewood, half of the ser-
vices of the land of Symon of Blackdene, and half
of the services of Thomas, the son of Aucia, in
consideration of which he asked only the prayers of
the monks. The monks held these lands to the
Reformation. They are now enjoyed by the house
of Roxburghe.
Cocklaw, on the upper sources of the Beaumont,
formed part of the territory of Molle. A powerful
castle stood on this estate between two burns
which descend from Cocklaw and Windgatehill, and
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 283
near the houses now called Cocklaw-foot. Imme-
diately after the battle of Honiildon, in 1401,
Henry Percy, with the Earl of March, laid siege to
this castle, which was gallantly defended by John
Greenlaw. At last, Percy, finding that he could not
take this fortress, entered into an agreement with
Greenlaw, that, if he had no rescue within three
months, the castle was to be delivered up into the
hands of the English. Intimation of this agreement
being made to the Governor of Scotland, he as-
sembled the lords in council for advice as to the
levying of an army within the appointed time.
Many of the council were of opinion that it was
better to lose the castle than to hazard the lives of
so many men as were necessary for the saving of it ;
but the Governor declared that he weighed the loss
of it so much that, if none of the nobles would pass
with him to the rescue, he would go himself and
do what in him lay to save it. But the troubles
which at that time arose in England caused Percy to
raise the siege of the castle.* In 1481, the castle
was ordered to be garrisoned with twenty men, to
support the warden of the marches.-f* Before
1560, the estate of Cocklaw belonged to a family
of the name of Gledstones. In 1561, John Gled-
stone of Cocklaw was charged with the slaughter of
* Hollingshed, vol. ii. pp. 48, 49.
t Acta Pari., vol. ii. p. 140.
284 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
Thomas Pebles and William Bell.* In 1569, James
Gledstones subscribed the bond by the Border barons
and others at Kelso, for the purpose of putting down
the thieves of Liddesdale, Ewsdale, and Eskdale.-f* In
1606, James Gladstones, apparent of Cocklaw, was
fined and amerciated in 500 merks for not entering
Thomas Turnbull, younger, of Wauchope, accused of
fire-raising on the lands of Harwood, and stealing
from the Lady of Appotsyde 200 cows and oxen, 30
score of sheep, 30 horses and mares, and the whole
plenishing of her house, worth dPIOOO, and cutting
down the trees growing on her lands. J In the same
year, Eobert, Lord Roxburghe, was served heir
to his father, William Ker of Cessford, of the
lands of Cocklaw, with whose descendants they
still remain. §
Colrust belonged to the monks of Kelso, as ap-
pears from their roll. || Before 1700, it was the pro-
perty of Scott of Mangerton, and at that period
Elizabeth Scott was served heir to her brother,
Francis Scott, in the lands of Colruist, " compre-
hending the husbandlands of Adam Bell, feuar of
Bellfoord, his twelve husbandlands of Belfoord, per-
tinents thereof, with teinds, rectorage, and vicarage,
* Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, vol. i. p. 414.
t lb., vol. ii. p. 512. t lb., vol. iii. p. 396.
§ Ketours, No. 36. || Bent Roll of Abbey.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 285
all united to the lands and barony of Heartrig.*
Colrust now belongs to the Society for the Propa-
gation of the Gospel, and Belford is the property of
Sir George Douglas, as heir of his mother, Hannah
Charlotte, only daughter and heiress of Henry Scott
of Belford.
The town of Molle was of old of considerable ex-
tent, with a peel and many fair houses in and around
it, but it has entirely disappeared. In the town
the monks of Kelso had fourteen cottages, each of
which rented for two shillings yearly, and six days
work, with the common easements of the town, and
liberty to pasture cattle wherever the laird's cattle
grazed. They had also one malt kiln, which rented
at half-a-merk. A few scattered onsteads, with
here and there a shepherd's house, are all that is
now to be seen on that important territory. The
church of Molle stood on the summit of a rising
ground on the right bank of the Beaumont, but it
also has fallen before the ruins of time, and the only
evidence of a religious house at this place is its small
graveyard, still used by those who love to mingle
their ashes with their forefathers. Until lately, all
kinds of bestial had access to this sacred spot, but
the sepulchres of the dead are now protected by a
fence. It is painful to observe the carelessness of
landlords and tenants in protecting the little grave-
* Ketours, No. 325.
286 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
yards of the district. As stated above, the son of
Liulf gifted, in 1153, to the monks of Kelso, the
church and the land lying adjacent thereto, namely,
" from Houlaushau to its river, and from the river
along Houlaueshau as far as the ford of Bolbent,
opposite the church, and from that ford upward as
far as Houlaueshau, and thence alono; the road as far
as Hunedune, and thence as far as the head of the
river of Houlaueshau common pasture, in the town
of Molle, with easements/'* This grant was con-
firmed by Herbert, bishop of Glasgow, by Malcolm
IV., William the Lion, and Bishop Josceline. In
1186, Lady Eschina of Molle confirmed to the monks
the previous grants of the church lands and liberties,
and added, for the weal of the soul of her lord
Walter, the son of Alan, of her daughter, who was
buried at Kelso, and of others, that the monk's
chaplain of Molle, their men dwelling in the town of
Molle on the lands of the church, should have com-
mon pasture, with reasonable stock, and other pri-
vileges, in common with her men of Molle. Henry
of Molle, the second husband of Lady Eschina, con-
firmed the grants made to the monks. About this
time, a dispute arose between the monks and Henry
of Molle and his lady, in regard to the extent of the
rights claimed by the former in right of the church.
It was at last agreed that the monks should have
* Lib. de Calchou, p. 144.
ROXBUEGHSHIRE, ETC. 287
for ever, in the territory of Molle, pasture for 700
sheep and* 120 cattle, in right of the church,
with all the privileges which the parson ought to
have, and also that the vicar and the men of the
abbey, dwelling on the church lands of Molle, should
have common pasture and easement in all things
with the men of the laud of Henry of Molle him-
self* A like demand was made by the monks upon
the lands of Anselm of Molle, which was settled by
compromise. The monks gave up all claim made
against Anselm in name of the parson of Molle, and
he granted to them pasturage for 700 sheep and 3 00
cattle, over his land of Molle, with liberty to pas-
ture over the whole of that land, except on corn and
meadow, at any time of the year, except for 15 days
before the 24th of June and 1 st of August, during
which time they were to use the pasture of Berehope
only for cattle. He also gave them liberty to take
wood for making sheep-cots, to allow both sheep
and cattle to go at large, to give the monks room for
their folds, with free passage through the lands of
Molle. In consideration of the monks having given
up the tithes of his mill, he gave up the multure,
and granted to them the privilege of grinding at
his mill at any time, whenever the hopper of the
mill should be empty, unless the corn of his own
demesne was lying to be ground. The monks of
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 135, 136.
288 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Kelso and Melrose disputed as to the smaller tithes
and other rights belonging to the parish church of
Molle, due by Melrose monks for the lands of
Uggings. A reference being made to the Pope, he
delegated the abbot of Paisley and the treasurer
of Glasgow to act as the principal judges in the
cause ; and they having appointed the sub-dean of
Glasgow to hear parties and pronounce judgment,
the parties appeared before the sub-dean. The monks
of Kelso stated that they held the church of Molle for
their own uses ; that the monks of Melrose had, after
the fourth council of Latern, acquired lands within the
parish, and withheld the tithes and other parochial
rights of the church of Molle, to the injury of the
house of Kelso : demanding that the monks of Melrose
should pay ^J300 for the tithes which they withheld,
and pay for the future. The sub-dean held that
the monks of Melrose had unlawfully withheld the
tithes and other rights claimed by the monks of
Kelso in right of the church of Molle; that they
should pay these tithes and rights to the monks of
Kelso, as rectors of the church, as they had been ac-
customed to receive them from the other parishioners
of Molle ; and awarded 260 merks, as loss sustained
by the monks of Kelso. In 1273, it was arranged
before the sub-dean of Glasgow, in the presence of
William Wyschard, archdeacon of St. Andrews, and
chancellor of Scotland, who acted as mediator, that
the monks of Melrose should pay yearly, for ever,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 289
to the monks of Kelso, thirteen chalders of good
oatmeal, for the tithes of the lands of Molle, which
they themselves cultivated, and for the teind sheaves
of their men in Molle. The two houses of Kelso
and Melrose seem to have had many differences as
to this payment, till 1309, when a final settlement
was agreed upon by several arbiters, in the church
of St. James of Koxburgh*
The chartularies of the abbeys contain many
notices of the woods and forests in the territory of
Molle. In the wood at " the Scrogges," the monks
of Kelso got a grant of wood for making flakes for
securing their sheep, and rods for repairing their
ploughs. From the woods of Persouth, the monks
were allowed to take material for their ploughs and
for making fences. The same monks had also right
to the wood on the east side of Erndbrandsdene.
Not a trace of these woods is now to be seen, ex-
cept a solitary tree, standing here and there in the
mountain dells, and in the neighbourhood of the
principal houses of the district.
This territory suffered severely during the Border
wars. In Hertford's desolating expedition in 1545,
the towns of Mowe, Museles, Colruist, Esheughe,
Awtonburne, and Cowe were destroyed.
A number of persons in the 12th, 13th, and 14th
centuries bore the surname of Molle.
* Lib. de Mail., pp. 391, 392.
VOL. III. U
290 the history and antiquities of
Mereboda,* Merebotle,-)- Merbotle,;]; Mer-
bottle,§ Morebottle.|| — The ancient spelling of
this place, which conferred a name on the parish,
was Merbotle, which, in the Anglo-Saxon language,
signifies the dwelling-place at the lake. The present
orthography of the word did not come into use till
the beginning of the seventeenth century. The
territory of Morebattle, under the name of Mere-
boda, appears in the Inquisitionis Davidis in 1 116.^|
At that early period, the church of Glasgow was
possessed of the church and a carrucate of land in
Merebotle. The territory seems to have been of
limited extent, bounded by the lands of Whitton on
the west, by Grubet, Clifton, and Prim side, on the
south and south-east, and by the barony of Linton
on the north. Very little information exists as to
the early history of this territory, further than an
occasional notice in grants to the monks of Melrose,
and in the Register of Glasgow. Between 1170 and
1249, charters are witnessed by Hugh, Roger, and
William, designed of Merbotle.** The lands appear
to have belonged to the family of Corbet. King
Robert Bruce granted the lands of Marbottil to Ar-
* Circa 1116; Regist. Glasg., pp. 5, 7.
t Circa 1174 ; Lib. de Mailros, p. 58 ; Regist. Glasg., p. 23.
X Circa 1214 ; Lib. de Mailros ; Regist. Glasg.
§ Circa 1575. || Acta Pari. ; Retours.
IT Regist. of Glasgow, pp. 5, 7.
** Lib. de Mailros, pp. 58, 152, 237.
KOXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 291
chibald Douglas, supposed to be the brother of the
Good Sir James.* In 1529, James V. granted
to Kobert Stewart and Janet Murray his wife, the
lands of Marebottil and Middleby.-f- In the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century, the lands of
Morebattle were included in the barony of Minto,
and possessed by Sir Walter Stewart. J The terri-
tory afterwards became a part of the barony of
G-rubet, and belonged to Sir William Bennet. It is
now the property of the Marquis of Tweeddale.
The town of Morebattle stands on an eminence
near to the river Cayle. The houses have been
greatly improved since the end of last century.
When the Old Account of the parish was written, the
houses were mostly of one storey, and covered with
thatch ; but they are now well built, the greater
number two-storied and covered with slate. After
the property came into the possession of the Marquis
of Tweeddale, he feued out the ground on which
the town is built for the terms of nineteen times
nineteen years, at the rate of £h sterling per acre.
About the end of last century, 380 acres of land ad-
joining the village were parcelled out into 26 small
pendicles, and let to the feuars of the town. There was
also a small common in the neighbourhood of the
town, on which the feuars had the right of casting
* Robertson's Index, p. 11, No. 50.
t Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xxiii. No. 115. % Retours, No. 73.
292 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
turfs, which, with the consent of the Marquis of
Tweeddale, was divided amongst them in shares
proportioned to the amount of their rentals. It is
now enclosed, and bears good crops of potatoes, tur-
nips, grass, and corn, and is a great benefit to the
rentallers. The feu-duty is trifling. The church of
Morebattle stands on the north of the village, on the
verge of a steep bank, the base of which being
formed of pure sand, gradually yielded to the opera-
tions of the river Cayle, and each flood brought
down large masses of earth from the top of the ridge,
so as to endanger the church and graveyard, but by
embankments and planting, the stream is kept at a
distance from the sand-bank.* Tradition tells of a
prophet who foretold that the church and graveyard
would be carried away by the stream. Unless care
be taken to keep the stream from the bank, there
can be little doubt that the prophecy will be fulfilled.
The church was dedicated to St. Lawrence, and was
* There are three parallel ridges running south and north.
On the top these ridges have a coating of soil, while below
they are formed of sand. The middle ridge affords a beauti-
ful specimen of the sand-bank being converted into rock.
In it the lines are discernible by which the quarryman of
centuries hence will be guided in his operations on the then
solid rock. It is instructive to watch the progress of human
events, to trace the path of man from a state of barbarism
to civilization ; and it is equally edifying to observe the pro-
gress of the earth on which we tread, from one state into
another. The bank of sand referred to, with not one particle
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 293
confirmed to the bishops of Glasgow by successive
popes — Alexander III., Lucius III., Urban III., and
Honorius III, before 1216* About 1228, a perti-
nacious controversy arose between Hugh de Potton,
archdeacon of Glasgow, Walter, bishop of Glasgow,
and Thomas, the rector of Morebattle, as to their
several rights. Pope Gregory delegated the bishop
of Dunkeld, the prior of Coldingham, and the dean
of Lothian, to settle the dispute. The commissioners
met in the chapel of Nesbit, and, after hearing par-
ties, found that the church of Merebotle was a pre-
bend in the church of Glasgow, yielding twenty
merks ; that, for the future, the archdeacon and his
successors should perpetually receive thirty merks
annually in lieu of a mansion, but should make no
claim against the rectory of Morebattle on any
ground whatever, and to submit to the conscientious
determination of the bishop.-)- A dispute having
arisen, in 1455, between the monks of Melrose and
larger than another, is fast being converted into a solid con-
sistence, and which will, in after-ages, yield large blocks of
stone. That lump of sand, which can now be crumpled
to separate particles, will in process of time resist the
steel-pointed tool of the labourer. Those lines, beauti-
fully delineated on the face of the bank, are the places where
the quarryman will insert his wedge and lever, for the raising
of immense blocks for some stupendous undertaking of the
yet unborn. — Vide vol. i. pp. 42, 43.
* Regist. Glasg., pp. 23, 30, 43, 50, 55, 95.
t lb., pp. 125, 126.
294 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Patrick Hume, the archdeacon of Teviotdale, regard-
ing the tithes of Gateshaw and Cliftoncotis, was re-
ferred to Master John of Otterburn, licentiate of
decrees, Master Gilbert Heryng, vicar of Innerwic,
Sir Andrew Bell, a monk of Newbottle, licentiate in
theology, and Alexander of Casteltaris, rector of
the church of Keth, who met at the dwelling-place
of Mr. Nicholas of Otterburn, in the presence of
several notaries and witnesses, and decided that the
tithes of the towns of Gateshaw and Cliftoncotis had
been continually raised and possessed by the monks
of Melrose from time immemorial, and that those
tithes ought of right to belong to them, and that
they were legitimately secured to them by prescrip-
tion against the archdeacon of Teviotdale, — reserv-
ing half-a-merk of silver to be annually paid in lieu
of the whole tithes of said towns by the monks of
Melrose to the archdeacon of Teviotdale and his suc-
cessors for the time being, and imposed perpetual
silence on the said archdeacon and his successors as
to the said tithes * The present church was built on
the site of the old church, in 1 757. It underwent
considerable repairs in ] 839, and is now a comfort-
able place of worship, capable of containing about
500 sitters. A fountain below the churchyard
bears the name of Laurie's Well, a corruption of
St. Lawrence, to whom the church was dedicated.
* Lib. de Mailros, pp. 583, 587.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 295
The graveyard, although situated on the top of the
ridge, is rough and moorish. About 1812, it was
infested by a numerous colony of rats, who, after
feasting on the bodies of the dead, were observed
going in great numbers to the well of the saint to
quench their thirst. There were in early days two
chapels in this parish, dependent on the mother
church of Morebattle, one at Clifton on the Beau-
mont water, and the other at Nether Whitton. In
1 186, Pope Urban III. confirmed to Joceline, bishop
of Glasgow, the church of Morebattle, " cum capella
de Cliftun et capella de Whittun."* There is a
dissenting meeting-house in Morebattle. It stood
originally at Gateshaw, which was the first settle-
ment of the Secession in the south of Scotland. The
first minister was ordained in 1739, and, until a
church was erected, the people assembled during
winter and summer on the brae, and the minister
preached from a tent.*|- About 1779, the house and
manse were removed to Morebattle. The pious
David Morrison was the first minister of Morebattle,
where he spent a long and useful life. His successor,
* Eegist. Glasg., p. 55.
t In regard to this settlement of seceders at this place, the
minister of Hoimam, in the Old Statistical Account, re-
marks : — The people of Hounam are, " however, in general,
piously disposed, and rational in their religious sentiments,
which is, perhaps, somewhat the more remarkable, as Gate-
shaw is bordering on this, where there has been from the
beginning of the Secession a meeting-house of the wildest
296 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Mr. Cranstown, is at present pastor of the congrega-
tion. The wife of Mr. Morrison introduced the double-
handed spinning-wheel into the district ; but it was a
long time before it came into general use, owing to
the women of the locality being at that period chiefly
engaged in agricultural labour, and sat down with re-
luctance to the spinning-wheel. There is also a Free
Church in the village, under the charge of an excel-
lent pastor, and which is well attended. About
twenty years ago, a new school-house was erected,
said to be, without exception, the finest in the
county. It is attended on an average by 100
scholars.
Owing to the proximity of this village to the
Border, it was often destroyed by the predatory
bands of England. In 1523, it was destroyed by the
Marquis of Dorset, Sir William Bulmer, Sir Anthony
Darcey, and others, who carried out of Teviotdale
about 4000 head of cattle. In 1 544, it was burnt
by Sir Kalph Eurie, Sir Brian Laiton, and Sir George
Bowes. Next year, it was destroyed by the Earl of
Hertford's army.
kind of seceders, the Antiburghers, who are zealous in dis-
seminating their principles — not supposed very favourable to
morals and true piety. These people were formerly nume-
rous in the parish ; they are now dwindled much away, and
there are not twenty of all the different denominations, and
of that number there is but one small tenant." — General
Appendix to the Old Statistical Account, voL xxi. pp.
19, 20.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 297
Whitton. — The name of this ancient place is
thought to be derived from an early proprietor of the
name of Hwite, who conferred his name on the
place : Hwites-tun, i. e., White's dwelling or tun.
The family of Riddel acquired this territory from
King David I. before 1153, with whose descendants it
remained until the beginning of the present century.
The monks of Mailros had considerable possessions
in this territory, which they obtained from the vassals
of the over-lord, Patrick Ridel. A tenant of the name
of Bernoldebi gave to the monks Rauensfen, as
perambulated and bounded by him and the monks.
It consisted of twenty acres, and extended from the
head of Harehoudene as far as the land which Wil-
liam of Ridel gave to Matildis Corbet, his wife, and
thence towards Whitton, and thence towards Harehou
as far as a little thorn, and thence as far as Harcar,
and thence by an ancient ditch to Harehoudene.
He also gave to the monks a gift of the land from
the top of Harehopdene, ascending westward by a
syke; and thence across southwards along a furrow
which bounded the lands let to William, the parson
of Hunum, as far as the old ditch, which was the
boundary of the lands on the south; and thence
downwards towards the east as far as the head of
Harehopedene. Geoffrey, the son of Walter of Lil-
liescliue, gave three oxgangs of arable land, as they
lay together above Rauensfen, next to the lands of
Heuiside, which the monks held by the grant of
298 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Patrick the over-lord : also thirteen acres and half-
a-rood at the same place. Ysabel, the wife of Wil-
liam of Ridel, granted to the same monks an oxgang
of land which lay between Hordlawe and Tocke-
sheles, which oxgang had previously been granted
by Geoffrey, the cook of Whitton, to the hospital of
Jerusalem, afterwards purchased by Ysabel's father,
and given to her. These grants were confirmed to
the monks by Patrick of Ridel and his son Walter,
by Robert de Brus and William the Lion. On
Eustace de Vesci becoming over-lord of Whitton,
he confirmed all the grants which had been made in
favour of the monks before 1218. King Alexander
II. also confirmed all the grants as defined in the
charter of confirmation of Patrick of Ridel. In
1454, the charter of Patrick was confirmed by James
II. At the beginning of the present century, Over
and Nether Whitton, with the mill thereof, were pos-
sessed by Sir John Buchanan Riddel of that Ilk.
They are now the property of Sir John Warrander,
John Ord, and Christopher Douglas. The town of
Whitton must have been of old of considerable ex-
tent. The ruins of the fort of the town are still to
be seen. The fort of Whitton was cast down by
Surrey when he besieged Cessford, and both Over
and Nether Whitton were destroyed by Hertford in
1545.
Before 1 306, several families and individuals bore
the surname of Whitton.
eoxbueghshiee, etc. 299
Peenwensete, * Peonewessete,-)- Peenwen-
seth,+ Peomset,§ Peimside.— This territory was
granted by Earl Henry, the son of David L, to one
of the family of Ridel. || It is believed to have been
the earliest possession of that family in Scotland.
About 1180, Geoffrey Ridel granted to the monks of
Kelso, for the weal of the soul of Earl Henry, who
gave the town to his father, two oxgangs of land*
with toft and croft, free from multure ; pasture for
1000 sheep; the common easements of said town, as
well in fuel as in other things ; a portion of meadow
on the east of the town, with liberty of pasture
everywhere without the meadow-land and corn-land,
except on one ploughgate of demesne reserved for
the pasture of his own cattle.** He granted them
also a haugh lying near the waters of Bolbent, next
the march of Cliftun, on the west side of the road
from Cliftun to Primside. In 1208, on the settle-
ment of the dispute between the monks of Kelso and
Melrose, the former, in accordance with the judg-
* Circa 1153 ; Lib. de Calchou, p. 294.
t Circa 1180 ; Lib. de Mailros, pp. 134, 135.
X Circa 1213; lb., p. 154. § Circa 1300; lb., pp. 110, 111.
|| Primside is thought to be the first settlement of the
family of Eiddel in Scotland, which, with Corbet and King-
horn, are the oldest surnames in this country. The lineage
of Riddel will be given along with the account of the barony
of Eiddel.
** Lib. de Calchou, p. 294.
300 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
ment of the king, conveyed to the latter two oxgangs
of land and two acres of meadow, and pasture for
400 sheep in Primside. This grant was confirmed
by Geoffrey Kidel, the lord of the territory. In
1215, Alexander II. confirmed to the monks of
Melrose those two oxgangs, and pasture for 400
sheep. In the beginning of the 14th century, the
house of Kelso had, in the territory, seven acres
of land, and common pasture for 300 dinmonts.
There is difficulty in ascertaining the exact boun-
daries of this estate, but it is thought to have com-
prehended the present Primside, Primside Dykes,
Cruickedshaws and Primside Mill. In the 15th
century, Primside belonged to a branch of the family
of Cessford, said to be now represented by Ker of
Gateshaw. It belongs to the family of Benburghe.
Primside shared the same fate as the other towns
and villages in the district when Hertford paid his
destructive visit in 1545.
Ceookedshaws, the Crukehou or Croucho, of
the charters, stands at the east end of Linton Loch.
It has been at one time nearly surrounded by the
waters of the loch. At this place, a high ridge or
bar of sand runs from near the onstead, almost
across the neck of the loch. It is not easy to
account for the formation of this remarkable bar of
sand ; but the probability is that it has been made
either by the burn of Cruikedshaws bringing down
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 301
sand and gravel from the mountains,* or by the deep
waters of the lake drifting sand round the turns of
the hill. The ridge of sand appears as if bent by
the action of the waves. The turnpike road to
Yetholm passes over the end of the ridge.
Clifton, which derives its name from its situa-
tion at the cliffs, belonged to St. Cuthbert, at the end
of the seventh century. At the end of the 12th
century, it belonged to Walter of Wildleshoures.
At that early period, the monks of Melros had land
in the territory of Clifton. Walter granted to the
said monks land in Clifton, described as follows:
— " From the two stones projecting from the rock
above the small rush-bed on the east side of Cruke-
hou, close by where the lands of Prenwensete and
the lands of Grubbheued meet together ; along that
rush-bed and the stone lying below it; along a cer-
tain ridge, according to the marches and bounds
which he and Ernald, abbot of Mekos, and Symon,
the archdeacon, perambulated, and made as far as
the Bireburn, and thence across the Bireburn in a
* It is hardly possible to imagine the immense quantities
of sand which are brought down from the mountains in a storm
of rain. Last summer, Primside Hill, which is steep and
high, was under a crop of turnips, and, while the crop was
yet young, a thunder-storm broke upon the locality, and
brought down such a quantity of sand and gravel as filled
the turnpike road at the base of the hill several feet deep,
and lay like wreaths of snow.
302 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
southern direction towards Molle, as far as the rock
next the road eastwards, above the Cukoueburn
as the Cukoueburn descends as far as the same
great road, namely, that which leads from Roches-
burgh to Molle ; and from thence along that road as
far as the Mereburn, which separates the land of
Cliftun from the land of Molle ; and thence along
the Mereburn to the boundaries of Hunum; and
thence as the boundaries run between the land of
Hunum and the land of Cliftun, as far as the boun-
daries of Grubbeheued; and thence along the marches
and boundaries which he perambulated between the
lands of Cliftun and the land of Grubbeheued ; and
thence above the foresaid Cruikehou, along the
boundaries which he perambulated between the
land of Cliftun and the land of Prenewensete ; and
thence as far as the foresaid two stones on the rock
above the foresaid rush-bed/'* The family of Cor-
bet seems to have been the next proprietor of Clif-
ton, and who also purchased, in 1241, the land which
belonged to Eoger Lardenar and his wife Matildis,
in the territory of Cliftun. Before 1306, John of
Sumerill had lands in Cliftun. The family of
Rutherford was possessed of lands in Cliftun, which
were forfeited, and granted by Robert Bruce to
Roger Finlay. Roger Aillermere had a portion of
the lands of Cliftun, and which were granted by
Richard II. to William Badby. In the beginning of
* Lib. de Mailros, pp. 107, 108.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 303
the 16th century, William Pringle of Torwoodlee
obtained a charter of the lands of Clifton. In the
17th century it was divided among four families.
James Tweedie of Drummelyier possessed the half
of the lands and barony; in 1615, John Pringle of
Tofts, a descendant of the Torwoodlee family, was
proprietor of two portions thereof; and, in 1616,
Thomas Pott was possessed of one mercat land of
old extent, within the under half of the barony of
Cliftun.* The situation of the town of Clifton was
on the right bank of the Beaumont, at a place where
the water of Cliftun joins that river. A farm-house
and a few cottages occupying the same position, are
all that remains of the once important town of Clif-
ton, and one of the most ancient towns of Nor-
thumbria. It was destroyed by Hertford in 1545.
GRUBBEHEUED,f GRUBESHEUED,J GrUBHEUED,§
Geubet. — The etymology of this name is doubtful.
It may be intended to describe hills on which dwarf
shrubs grow. About the middle of the 1 2th cen-
tury, the territory was the property of Uctred, who,
before 1181, adopted the name of Grubbeheued as
his surname. In 1181, the said Uctred, and Symon,
his son and heir, granted to the monks of Melrose
Elstaneshalche, which lay on the west side of the
old course of the water of Cayle, near to the
* Retours, Nos. 79, 82, 84. t Circa 1180 ; Lib. de Melros.
X Circa 1180, 1189 ; Lib. de Melros. § Circa 1300.
304 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
monks' lands of Whittun, on condition that they
were to be admitted into their fraternity, and parti-
cipate in all the privileges of the church.* The
land contained in this grant was afterwards quit-
claimed for ever to the monks, in presence of Jo-
celine, the bishop of Glasgow, and the archdeacon of
that church, Huctred and his heirs vowing by the
holy church of St. Mary of Melrose, " that they
should never claim anything within the boundary of
the lands conveyed by them to the monks, but defend
and maintain everywhere the house of Melros and
everything belonging to it." Uctred and his heirs
also granted to the monks right of road across the
lands of Grubbesheued for the carriages belonging
to the abbey passing to their grange of Hunedun
without challenge. This family was in possession of
the territory about the end of the 13th century. At
this period the De Vescis were over-lords of this ter-
ritory, and about the beginning of the 14th cen-
tury, Robert Bruce granted the lands to Archibald
Douglas. About 1426, Nichol Rutherford of that
Ilk, ancestor of the Rutherfords of Hundalee, got
a charter under the great seal of the lands of
Grubet.*|- In 1629, Andrew, Lord Jedburgh, was
served heir to Andrew, master of Jedburgh, one of
the senators of the college of justice, in the lands of
Grubet, with the mills thereof* In 1647, William
* Lib. de Mailros, p. 111.
X Douglas Peerage, 588.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 305
Bennet was served heir to his father, Master Wil-
liam Bennet, rector of Ancrum, in the lands and
barony of Grubet, with the mills of Grubet * From
the family of Bennet, the land passed into the
family of Nisbett of Dirlton, and it now belongs to
the Marquis of Tweeddale. The town of Grubet
stood upon the right bank of the river Cayle, at a
little distance from the mill. It now consists only
of a shepherd's cot and byre. The banks on each
side of the Cayle valley, particularly in the neigh-
bourhood of Grubet mill, used to be covered with
the broom ; but this beautiful shrub, which might
have vied with the broom of the Cowdenknowes, was
rooted up several years ago. The "long yellow
broom " might have been spared to adorn the steep
braes of the lovely Cayle. Both broom and whiri
seem to be under the ban of the agriculturist.
Wideopen, anciently written Wydehoipe, a
name descriptive of its position on the peninsula
where the Cayle enters the large valley extending
from Cruickedshaws to Marlefield, formed a part
of the barony of Grubet in the beginning of the
17th century. About 1700, it was the property
of the maternal uncle of the poet Thomson, and
where tradition says he was born, and in the neigh-
bourhood of which he wrote his " Winter."-)- The
* Retours, No. 195. t Supra, pp. 114, 115.
VOL. III. X
306 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
hill on which it is said the poem was written has two
summits, and bears the name of Parnassus. Wide-
open is again united to Grubet.
Gateshaw, which is situated on the left bank of
the Cayle, was of old a possession of the abbey of
Melrose, and was, at the end of the 15th century,
fermed by Andrew Ker of Gateshaw, who, in 1498,
appeared in the court of the abbot, and swore on
the holy evangels, that he should not intromit with
the herezeld of his tenants, but that the abbot should
have them while they happened to be vacant, with-
out prejudice or guile.* The lands of Gateshaw
and Cliftoncote remained with the monks till the
Eeformation. In 1510, the same Andrew Ker of
Gateshaw was accused at the Justiceaire at Jed-
worth, for the slaughter of John Murray of Falahill.
Lancelot Ker, his son, and James Ker of Whiterig,
were his sureties.-]- Lancelot succeeded his father ;
and, in 1530, along with the barons and lairds of
the shires of Eoxburgh and Berwick, submitted to
the king's will for breaking their bonds.J In 1564,
Richard Ker was owner of Gateshaw, and was a
party to the contract between the Scotts and Kers.
It would thus appear that the lineage, as given by
Burke, of the family of Gateshaw, is not correct.
* Lib. de Mailros, p. 125.
t Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, voL i. p. 69. J lb., p. 147.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 307
William Ker, the present proprietor of the estate, is
descended from the foresaid Lancelot. Gateshaw-
brae, on this estate, is hallowed as being the place
where the covenanters worshipped, and where the
first congregation of the Seceders in the south of
Scotland formed a congregation in 1739, of whom
Mr. Hunter was the first pastor. On the 17th Octo-
ber, 1839, about 3000 people assembled here to
celebrate the centenary of the event, and the devo-
tional exercises were sustained by dissenting minis-
ters from the neighbouring towns and villages.
"Nothing could be finer," says a writer who was
present, " than when from the vast multitude there
arose the song, the loud acclaim of praise, with a
volume and majesty worthy of an occasion which
had taken for itself that
Temple not made with hands,
The vaulted firmament.
It seemed to take the soul of that waste place with
joy."
Corbet House, named after its early proprietor,
Corbet, now belongs to Mr. Ker of Gateshaw* It
was repaired and renewed about the beginning of
the century by Sir Charles Ker, the predecessor of
the present owner of the estate. In 1522, it was
* Corbet is one of the oldest surnames in Scotland. Supra,
p. 142.
308 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
burnt by the English, who ravaged the banks of
Cayle and Beaumont, in retaliation of an inroad
into Northumberland by Lancelot Ker. It was
again destroyed by Hertford in 1545. It is named
the " tower of Gateshaugh/' in the list of places de-
stroyed, and the present Gateshaw is called " New
Gateshaugh/' The tower seems to have been the
principal mansion of the estate.
Otteebubn, anciently Otirburn, appears in the be-
ginning of the 15th century. Nicholas of Otirburn
was a master of arts, a licentiate in degrees, a canon of
the church of Glasgow, and vicar of St. Giles, Edin-
burgh. John of Otirburn appears about the same time.
It was at the end of last century the property of Gil-
bert Elliot, and it is now the property of James Wilson.
The lands of Tofts and Cowbog belonged to Wil-
liam Bennet, rector of Ancrum, in 1647, and then
formed a part of the barony of Grubet. The small
property of Heavyside has retained its name from
the 12th century, without almost any corruption.
It conferred a surname on William of Heuside in
the 13th century. In the end of the last century it
belonged to Andrew Henderson. It is now the
property of Christopher Douglas.
Lochside and Eoumeedean were the property of
Andrew Ker of Hoselaw, and now belongs to Robert
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 309
Oliver, whose beautiful mansion stands on the north
margin of Primsideloch.
HUNUM,* HUNEDUNE,f H0WNAM,;j; H0UNAM,§
Hownam. — The name of this territory is said by-
Chalmers to be an abbreviation of Howen-ham, and
derived from a person named How en or Owen, who
settled here. || During the second century, Howen,
the son of Ruth, witnessed a charter of Eichard de
Morville, the constable of Scotland, who died in
1189. But may the name not be derived from
Koger de Ow, a follower of Earl Henry, the heir-
apparent of David I., and who had large estates in
Berwickshire ? He may have first settled here, and
conferred his name on the place. It is probable,
however, that the true etymology may be found to
be Hodham, signifying the upper village or town.
The territory first appears in the possession of a
person of the name of Orm,^[ before 1164, and who
* a.d. 1165, 1250; Kegist. Glasg. ; Lib. de Mailros.
t lb. % 1600 ; Lib. de Mailros.
§ 1650; Ketours. || Caledonia, vol. ii. p. 165.
IT The family of Orm is supposed to have come from North-
umberland, in the days of David I. Orm, the son of Eilar, is
a witness to a charter of Malcolm IV., before 1160, granting
to the church of Glasgow the church of old Kokesburg and
the chapel of the castle. He is said to have settled at Orm-
ston, on the Teviot, from whom the place derived its name.
Orm, the son of Hugh, acquired lands in the shires of Forfax
and Fife during the reign of Malcolm IV., and from William
olO THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
was succeeded by his son John* In 1199, William,
called De Laundeles, a son of John of Hunum, was
in possession of the lands. About the same time,
William built a chapel at Rasawe in honour of St.
Mary, and gifted the lands of Rasawe, in pure and
perpetual alms, to the monks of Melrose, on condition
of their maintaining a chaplain to celebrate masses
at the chapel.-)- This grant seems to have compre-
hended the territory from the Capehopeburn on the
east, up to the ditch between Raweshawe and Cuth-
bertshope, and thence by the march between him
and Richard de Umphraviiy to the Roman way on
the west, and along that road to the boundary of the
lands of Chatthou, and thence by the Chatthou
march to the Capehopeburn. This district, attached
the Lion he obtained the manor of Abernethy, in Strathero,
after which he assumed the surname of Abernethy. At the
death of Alexander, Lord Abernethy, in the reign of Robert
I., without male issue, his three daughters carried his estate
and blood into the families of Stewart, Lindsay, and Lesley.
* This John is thought to have been the possessor of Over
Crailling, now called Crailing Hall, on the Oxnam. He was
one of the sheriffs of Roxburghshire. He is the second
sheriff that can be traced at that period.
t Lib. de Mailros, p. 122.
X Gilbert de Umphraville granted to the monks of Kelso
the tenth of his foals of his breeding mares in the forest of
Cottonshope, which lay within the English border, opposite
to the grant of William of Hunum ; and these foals he allowed
to follow their dams till they were two years old. — Lib. de
Calchou.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 311
to the chapel at Rasawe, appears to have included
all the land lying between the Capehopeburn, Chat-
thou, and the English border. The grant was con-
firmed by William the Lion. After some time,
William repented of his liberal gift to the monks,
and endeavoured to regain forcible possession of the
territory, but the commissioners of Pope Innocent
decided that he should enjoy only a liferent of the
lands, on the condition of their becoming the pro-
perty of the monks at his death.* In 1225, William
resigned the territory to the monks, and which was
next year confirmed by Alexander II.-f* In 1237,
the canons of Jedburgh agreed to find a chaplain to
celebrate the masses for the souls of William, his
wife, Donancia de Clerefei, and all the faithful dead,
at Rasawe, as appointed by the bishop of Glasgow,
instead of at the house of Melrose. John de Laun-
deles, who lived about 1245, confirmed the grant
made by his father, or uncle, William, to the monks,
and granted free passage to them between their
grange at Hunedune and Rasawe. The monks of
Melrose obtained a grant of lands on the east part
of the territory of Hunum. Between 1164 and
1174, John, the son of Orm, granted to them certain
lands which lay between his lands and the lands of
Whitton, the lands of Grubet, the lands of Clifton,
and the lands of Molle, as the boundaries were fixed
* Lib. de Calchou, pp. 124, 125. t lb., p. 246.
312 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
in presence of Bishop Ingleram and many good men,
namely, "as far as the place where a small rivnlet
falls into Huneduneburn on the east side of Hul-
killes, and thence upwards by this rivnlet as far as
its source, and thence westward to a little hill, and
thence across the ridge between Brunecnol and
Helle, and thence descending by the marches he
made for them into Hawfurlungdene, and thence as
the burn descends from Hawfurlungdene into Kalne."*
This grant seems now to be represented by the farms
called the Granges. The gift was confirmed by
William the Lion and the granter's son William.
Before 1227, the same William gave them the whole
of that land called Brunocnollflat. John de Laun-
deles confirmed to the monks all the lands which
they had in the territory of Hunum.-(* All these
subjects remained with the monks till the Reforma-
tion. In 1471, James Rutherfurd of that Ilk got a
charter, under the great seal, of the lands and barony
of Hownam. In 1605, the Stewarts of Traquair
were proprietors of half of the lands and barony of
Hownam, comprehending the lands of Philogar and.
Cunzearton.J: In 1650, the Earl of Roxburghe was
retoured in the lands of Rasawe, which had formerly
belonged to the monks of Melrose. The Duke of
Roxburghe is proprietor of nearly a third of the
* Lib. de Melros, pp. 121, 122. t lb., pp. 244, 667.
t Retours, No. 30.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 313
whole parish of Hownam. The church of Hownam
is situated within a bend of the Cayle river, near to
the place where Capehopeburn flows into it. It is
said to have been originally in the form of a cross,
but it is now a rectangular building, 50 feet in
length, by 19 in breadth, 10 feet having been taken
off its length in 1752.* It affords accommodation
for 226 persons. The manse was built in 1776,
and repaired and improved in 1832. The church
belonged to William of Hunum before 1185. In
1220, it was in the possession of the monks of Jed-
burgh. At that time it was agreed between the
monks and the bishop of Glasgow, that the whole
tithes of corn within the parish should belong to the
canons, the vicar receiving ten pounds annually, or
the altarages, in his option, on his giving annually,
at the feast of St. James, a stone of wax to the
monastery of Jedburgh, f At this settlement, the
convent reserved right to an acre of land, in some
suitable place, on which to stack their corn. J In
1227, the monks of Melrose compounded with the
canons of Jedburgh for the tithes of Easawe, by a
payment of 20s. annually to the church of Hunam.
For the grange of Huuedun, the monks of Melrose
paid forty pence in accordance with an agreement
between them and William the parson, in 1185.
* New Statistical Account. t Eegist. of Glasg., p. 96.
J " Ad reponendum bladum suum in loco competente."
314 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
But the monks of Melrose having disputed with the
canons of Jedburgh as to their rights to the church
of Hunum, and which they gave up on the canons
agreeing to allow the lands of Hundune and Easawe
to go tithe free.* In 1567, the stipend of the reader
of Hownam was £16, with the kirk lands. When
parliament ratified the dissolution of Jedburgh and
" Cannanbie " in favour of the Earl of Home, in 1621,
it was enacted that the minister serving the cure of
Hownam for the time should have for his susten-
tation three chalders victual, half bear and half oat-
meal with the whole vicarage, manse, and glebe of
the kirk.-|* In 1606, the patronage of the church of
Hounam was in the hands of the Earl of Morton.
In 1656, the advowson of the church was in the
hands of the family of Kutherfurd. The patronage
is now in the family of Warrender. The old town of
Hounam stood a little way east from the Kirk Town,
on the same bank of the river. The town of How-
nam Kirk is situated near to the church between the
Cayle and the Capehopeburn, consisting of a few
modern houses, well built and cleanly kept. On the
banks of the Capehope there are the ruins of a con-
siderable number of houses, with the foundations of
a mill. Here, it is said, the far-famed Eob the
Eanter lived. J At Mainside, in the same locality,
* Lib. de Melros, p. 242. t Acta Pari., vol. iv. p. 638.
X Vol. i., Addenda. The ancient name of this place was
Cuithenop. — Lib. de Melros, p. 122.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 315
there were of old nine cottages, but which were
thrown down to make way for a farm-house and its
offices. In 1544, the town was destroyed by Eobert
Collingwood, who also burned the towns of Sharplaw,
Hownam, Heavyside, Hownam Grange, and other
places. The town also suffered on the incursions of
Eurie and Hertford. In 1545, Over Hownam,
Nether Hownam, and Hownam Kirk, were burnt
and cast down by Hertford. In 1684, John Ker of
Hownam was executed at the Grassmarket, Edin-
burgh, for his share in the rebellion of Bothwell.*
On a hill above the town there are traces of a camp or
fortified place, called " the Rings." The steep sides
of this hill, towards the north and west, are defended
by several terraces or rings, and on the summit are
the foundations of a number of circular huts. On
the south the ground is level. It seems to have
been intended as a defence against an attack from
the north. This is the locality of the stones called
" the Eleven Shearers/' Tradition bears that these
stones were eleven persons who had gone to that
place on the Sabbath-day for the purpose of shearing
corn, and while so engaged were turned into stone.
No doubt the punishment of the eleven shearers was
a pious invention of some good priest, to deter the
rude inhabitants of that day from breaking the
Sabbath. The clergy of that day were good and
* Crookshank's Hist., vol. ii. p. 208,
316 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
able, and knew well how to deal with the wild
people amongst whom they laboured. But there
must have been more persons engaged in shearing
than eleven, for, on examining the locality carefully,
I found that these stones, which are now broken, had
only formed a part of a large circle, communicating
with the summit of the hill. The view from this
place is extensive and beautiful, and will repay a
visit to it in July or August ; and here, as well
as "on every cairn-crowned" summit amidst the
Cheviots, the violet abounds.
Chatthou, which derives its name from the
mossy nature of the hill at which it is situated,
seems to have been a separate estate at an early
period, and to have conferred a surname upon
several persons. Adam and John de Chatthou wit-
nessed charters during the reign of William the
Lion. Alexander de Chatthou was a witness to a
charter in the reign of Alexander III. The same
Alexander de Chatthou claimed, in 1226, portions of
land lying within the boundaries of Easawe, granted
by William of Hunum to the monks of Kelso ; but
renounced the claim on being satisfied that it was
unfounded. In 1296, Adam de Chatthou swore
fealty to Edward I.* John de Chatthou got certain
lands in Eoxburghshire from King Eobert Bruce, in
* Eagman's Koll, p. 127.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 317
1322, which had been forfeited by the previous
owner. The family of Chatthou seems to have pos-
sessed the property till the 15th century. In 1424,
John Kutherford, second son of Eichard Kutherford
of that Ilk, progenitor of the family of Hunthill, got
a grant of the lands of Chatthou, from Archibald,
Earl of Douglas. Over Chatthou passed into the
family of Ker about the end of the 16th century,
and at the death of Christian Ker, Lady Chatthou,
it became the property of the Synlaws family, who
added the name of Ker to Scot. Nether Chatthou
was at the beginning of this century the property of
the Duke of Koxburghe. It now belongs to James
Dickson.
Philogar was at one time famed for its woods,
but which were cut down many years ago. It was
the property of the family of Kutherford, and is now
enjoyed by Stavert of Hoscoat. Chatthou and
Philogar were long famed for the produce of their
dairies, which gave rise to the old proverbial dis-
tich : —
" There's as good cheese at Chatto as e'er was chewed wi
chafts,
There's as gude butter at Philogar as e'er was weigh'd
wi' weights."
Owing to the farmers, generally, having given up
the practice of milking the ewes, it is difficult to
obtain cheese made from ewe milk.
318 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Beirope, an ancient possession of Anselm of Whit-
ton, afterwards of Molle. Anselm gave to the monks
of Kelso a right of petary and pasturage for cattle,
at certain seasons of the year, in Beirope. It seems
to have conferred a surname on a family. In 1606,
Kobert Beirhope was accused of going to Littledene,
belonging to Sir John Ker of Hirsel, and breaking
up the byre doors, and stealing sixteen cows and
oxen, with six horses and mares, and other goods.
He was acquitted. The jury who tried him were
John Mow of that Ilk, James Halyburton of Mer-
town, James Ker of Steelstockbraes, John Robson
of Burvanes, and Patrick Dickson of Belchester, and
others of little note.*
The Burvanes belonged to John Robson, and
stood on the right bank of the river Cayle, a little
below Heavyside mill.
Buchtrig, now belonging to James Wilson, seems
to have been included in the district attached to the
little chapel of St. Mary's. Near to the onstead is a
hill called " the Moat," but I cannot ascertain the
reason for its being called by that name. The hill
does not appear to have been fortified. A road of
sufficient breadth for a cart winds to the summit,
with here and there stones placed so as to prevent a
* Pitcairn's Criminal Trials, voL ii. p. 515.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 319
vehicle going over the steep sides of the hill. My
impression is that the top of the hill has been
used as a quarry at some distant day. At the base
of the hill, on the east, the foundations of houses can
be distinctly traced. It may have been the locality of
the little chapel of St. Mary. A high hill to the south
of the Moat is called " Standard/' evidently a corrup-
tion of Stane-ard, signifying " the Stone mountain."
Ovee Whitton, the ancient possession of Riddell,
now belongs to John Ord, and Chestres to Christo-
pher Douglas.
A yearly fair was formerly held at Capehope, and
which was well attended, but it has long ceased to
exist. A Border tryst is still held at Penny Muir>
on the 31st July and loth day of October, for the
sale of lambs and draft ewes.
During the months of October and November,
great numbers of salmon and sea trout ascend
the Cayle for the purpose of spawning. The parr,
which used to be very plentiful, is now extinct;*
but the river contains a fine red delicious trout,
some of large size, and in great numbers. A
little to the westward of Hounam Kirk, the
stream throws itself over a rock several feet
high, forming a beautiful cascade called "the
* Is not this fact against the theory that the parr is the
young of the salmon ?
320 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Salmon Leap." All the streams of this territory
abound in trout.
The district was at one time richly wooded, * but
only a few old trees are now to be seen at Capehope,
and in the neighbourhood of the church. The ex-
tensive forests of hazel which once adorned the
margins of the river may yet be traced on Chatto
crags and other places ; but the forests of oak, birch,
and alder have been entirely cut up. The woods of
Philogar have been cut within the last thirty years.
It is gratifying, however, to notice that the present
owners of the land are turning their attention to
planting. On the estate of Chester House, there are
17 acres of plantations arrived at a considerable
height. On the property of the Duke of Roxburghe
about 21 acres have been planted, and Mr. Dickson
has planted five acres of ornamental wood on his
estate.
EcKEFORDE,f Ekefoed,J Eckfoed. — This terri-
tory derives its name from a ford on the river
* Cayle derived its name from the woody coverts through
which it flowed, when the Gaelic language was spoken on the
Borders.
t Circa 1165 ; Lib. de Melros, p. 80.
X Luring the 13th century; Eegist. Glasg., p. 99; Lib. de
Melros, p. 225. In the settlement between the bishop of
Glasgow and the abbot of Jedburgh, the name is, by an error
of the scribe, written Hechford.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 321
Teviot, near to where the church is situated : Oak-
ford. In the common dialect of the district, the
Oak is still pronounced Aik or Ec. A road from
Melrose, by Eckford, to the granges on the Cheviots,
existed at a very early period. The oak must have
flourished on the margins of the Teviot in ancient
times, as trunks of oak trees of great size are
occasionally, at the present day, exposed by a change
of the channel of the river. The names of many
places in the neighbourhood, evince that woods
once covered the ground where not a trace of forest
trees is now to be found.
The territory of Eckford seems anciently to have
comprehended all the land lying between the Cayle
and the Teviot, and the manors of Morebattle,
Whitton and the two Craillings. It is doubtful
whether any of the lands lying on the right bank of
the Cayle were included in the old manor. The
first family seen in connection with the manor is
that of Geoffrey. In 1250, Geoffrey of Ekkeford
was possessed of land in the town and territory of
Home. In 1296, Eichard, the son of the said
Geoffrey, took the oath of fealty to Edward I.*
The family of Mowbray, who came to Scotland in
the reign of William the Lion, appears as owner of
the whole territory, but who lost Cessford about
* Ragman's Rolls, p. 142.
VOL. III. Y
322 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
1316, and Eckford in 1322, in consequence of Roger
de Mowbray being concerned with William de Sulis
and Lady Strathearn in a conspiracy against Robert
I. On the forfeiture of Mowbray, Robert I. granted
the manor of Ecford to Walter, steward of Scotland,
the husband of Marjory Bruce ; the demesne lands
of Cessworth were granted to Edmond Marshall, and
to William de St. Clair he gave the remainder of
the lands of Cesseworthe and the miln. Robert II.,
before 1390, conferred the barony of Eckford on
Walter Scott of Kirkurd. In 1463, James III.
granted to David Scott, son of Walter Scott of
Kirkurd, a charter, erecting into a free barony the
lands of Branxholm, Langtown, Lempitlaw, Elrig,
Rankellburn, Ekfurd, and Whitchester, to be called
the barony of Branxholm,* which charter was con-
firmed by James V. in 1528. In this charter were
included the lands of Grahamslaw. The barony still
belongs to the Duke of Buccleuch.
The principal messuage of the barony was Moss
House or Moss Tower, so named from its situation
in the midst of an extensive morass, and accessible
only at one point by a causeway. In 1523, it was
cast down by the English warden, Lord Dacre. In
1544, Sir Bryan Layton, Henry Eurie, Robert Col-
lingwood, and others, attacked the tower, and, accord-
ing to Eurie's report, won the "barnkyn and gate,
* Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xxii. No. 205.
KOXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 323
many naggs and nolt, and smoked very sore the
towre, and took 30 prisoners, and so brought away
80 horses and naggs, ] 80 or 200 nolt, 400 sheep,
and moche insight geare." The same party also
ranged the woods of Woodin and the country
around. In 1545, it was destroyed by Hertford. In
1570, it was burned by the Earl of Sussex. The
ruins of the tower existed about the end of last cen-
tury, but were taken down to afford access to mate-
rials for the erection of a new farm-house upon
part of its site.
The town of Eckford seems to have been of some
consequence during the Border wars. In all the
English inroads, it shared the fate of other towns and
villages which lay in the way of the destroying army.*
The church of Eckford stands on the right bank of
the Teviot, in the midst of fine scenery, and command-
ing an extensive view of the vale of Teviot. It was
built in 1662, completely repaired and new-seated in
1 775. A few years ago, it again underwent a thorough
repair, and is now capable of accommodating about
300 persons. At the east door of the church is still
to be seen an iron collar, or Jug, suspended from
the wall, and in which offenders were in former
* In the Statistical Account, it is stated that there
formerly existed a tower at the village of Eckford, but there
is no good reason for believing that there ever was any other
tower than the Moss Tower, which was really the tower
of the town.
324 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
days punished.* The church of Eckford was the
property of the Jedburgh monks about the begin-
ning of the 13th century, and with whom it re-
mained till the Reformation. In 1621, parliament
enacted that the minister serving the cure at Eck-
ford should receive five chalders of victual, half beer,
half oatmeal, with the hail vicarage, manse, and
glebe of said kirk.f At the present time, the sti-
pend amounts to fifteen chalders, half oatmeal and
half barley, with £8, 6s. 8d. of communion expenses,
forty-two pounds of cheese from the tenant of Cess-
ford as vicarage tithes, with a servitude of turf on
Woodinhill moor.j The manse was built in 1775,
and has been repeatedly improved since that time.
Eckford Brae, near to the manse, was in former
times notable for tent-preaching. The writer of the
New Statistical Account of the parish says that,
" thither, at particular seasons, immense multitudes
from the surrounding country were wont to resort.
Here Boston and other eminent divines used to dis-
pense to the people the bread of life."
The Moss Tower farm on this barony is cele-
brated as being the place where a superior kind of
oats, called Church's oats, were first raised. It is
said that the farmer, James Church, in the year
* It is said that the old bell of Eckford church was carried
away in one of the English inroads, and placed in Carham
belfry, where it remains to this day.
t Acta Pari., vol. iv. p. 638. % New Statistical Account,
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 325
1776, got from a gentleman in Galloway about 60
grains of oats which were procured from abroad.
These grains Mr. Church sowed by way of dropping
in a common field of a blackish mossy soil. The
return was fifty-fold. Next year, they were sown in
a common field of a gravelly light soil. They were
afterwards sown on different parts of the farm, and
always produced a great crop. They were plump and
short, but thick, weighed about 28 stones 6 lbs. per
Teviotdale boll, and yielded a greater quantity of
meal than other oats. They were ready about a
fortnight before the Blainslee or Dutch oats. The
name of the farmer was conferred on the oats. A
descendant of Mr. Church still occupies the farm,
and these oats are still grown on the fields where
they were first planted.* The lands are now in a
high state of cultivation.
Graemslaw, part of the barony of Eckford, lies
on the right bank of the Cayle river. The etymo-
logy of the name is doubtful. Some suppose that
the name is derived from an early settler on the
* The black or small bearded grey oat was the only kind
grown in the district till after the invasion of Cromwell, when
it was displaced by the introduction of the white oat by an
officer of the Commonwealth, named Blith. — Natural History
of the Eastern Borders, p. 219. Of this oat there are now
many varieties. " Unlike," says Mr. Stark (in his Essay on
the Supposed Progress of Human Society from Savage to Ci-
vilized Life) "many other plants, with a circumscribed geogra-
326 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
banks of the Cayle of the name of Gra, who had a ham
or dwelling at the law, while others think that the
name is purely Saxon, and descriptive of the nature
of the locality at the time the name was conferred ;
Grame, or Graeme, signifying " the savage or wild
law." It may, however, have obtained the name
from its situation at the deep cut or ditch through
which the Cayle rushes. But it is thought the true
etymology may be found in the Gaelic Grim, which
means war, battle. Grimslaw would thus signify
the battle law ; and there are many reasons for be-
lieving that this place has been the theatre of deadly
strife in ancient times. In this locality, tumuli
abound everywhere. There are a number of caves
in the red sandstone banks of the river, in one of
which the Douglas league was signed, and where
also the Covenanters found refuge. On the same
bank of the Cayle, near to where it mixes its waters
with the Teviot, stood a Spittal, or hospital for
lepers. Graemslaw was spoiled by Surrey in 1523,
and by Hertford in 1545.
phical range, wheats, barley, oats, and rye are found in almost
every place where there are tribes of men. And it is,
further, a curious and unaccountable circumstance, except in
one view, that these grains are never found in a wild state
available to any extent for the purposes of man. Their con-
tinuance depends upon their cultivation. Everywhere they
are found to die out if left to the spontaneous care of nature."
—Trans. Royal Soc. Edinburgh, xv. 1, p. 204.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 327
On the left bank of the Cayle, opposite to Graems-
law, is Haughead, anciently included in the terri-
tory of Eckford. In the 17th century, it belonged
to Robert Hall, commonly called Hobbie Hall, a
person remarkable for his piety and bodily strength.
The mansion-house of the covenanting laird is still
in existence, and an ash-tree near the house is pointed
out as being the tree beneath whose shade tradition
says his children were baptized. His son, Henry
Hall, followed in the footsteps of his father, and
afforded all the protection in his power to those
who were persecuted for conscience sake. Like his
father, he wa,s of undaunted courage, and deeply
imbued with religious zeal. He commanded the
covenanting army at the skirmish of Drum clog and
the battle of Bothwell Bridge, and was greatly dis-
tinguished for bravery and skill. His banner at
both these places is still preserved, and described as
being of blue silk, four and a half feet long by three
and a half broad, with an inscription on it of three
lines — the first, in the Hebrew character, " Jehovah-
nissi," Exodus xvii. 15; the second, "For Christ
and his truths;" the third, "No quarter to ye
active enemies of ye Covenant."* After the
battle of Bothwell Bridge he escaped to Holland,
but ere long returned, and shortly afterwards was
discovered, in company with Mr. Cargill, by the
* Transactions of the Antiquarian Society, Edinburgh, 1859.
328 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OP
governor of Blackness. Hall struggled with the
governor till Mr. Cargill escaped, and he also would
have got away, but for a blow on the head with the
doghead of a carbine, causing a mortal wound. The
townsmen turned out in a body and conveyed him
out of the town, and being unable to walk, he was
carried to the house of Robert Punton, whence he
was taken by Dalziel and his guards. Although
Hall was dying, Dalziel insisted upon taking him to
Edinburgh, but he breathed his last before reaching
that city. Tor three days his corpse lay in the
Canongate Tolbooth, and it was with great difficulty
that his friends obtained permission to bury him in
the night. Four years afterwards, the said Henry
Hall, deceased, John Menzies of Hanginshaw, Henry
Boswell of Dunsytown, Eobert Steel, portioner of
Stain, John Mack, portioner of Hensilwood, were
indicted in absence and found guilty, and forfeited,
and were all, with the exception of Henry Hall,
ordered to be executed when apprehended. This
practice of hanging and trying afterwards, was not
peculiar to this district, but was extensively followed
in other parts of the country. It was usual in cases
of high treason, where the party accused was dead,
to place the corpse at the bar before an assize, lead
evidence, obtain a verdict, and pronounce sentence,
in the same way as if the person had been alive.
The dead bodies of the Earl of Gowrie and Alexan-
der Ruthven were produced at their trial, and sen-
ROXBUKGHSHIKE, ETC. 329
tence was pronounced against the corpses. In the
case of Logan of Kestalrig, his bones, which had
been buried for many years, were dug up and pro-
duced at the bar, and trial had, and judgment pro-
nounced, in the same manner as if he had been alive.
During the time of the persecution, trials of this
kind frequently occurred. A person of property
refusing to swallow the abominable test, or resisting
the servants of a tyrant, was shot on the hillside,
his dead body was produced at the bar, and proof
led of his guilt, a verdict returned, and sentence
pronounced finding the person guilty, and forfeiting
his estates, to enable the iniquitous government of
the day to bestow them upon its willing tools. The
Border land affords abundant examples of such pro-
ceedings*
* They were proceedings of this nature that originated the
reproachful phrase of " Jeddart justice," or " Hang a man first
and try him after," which is known everywhere, and is alluded
to by every one who imagines that the scales of Justice have
not been held evenly. Historians, novelists, and essayists
have all twitted the inhabitants of Jedburgh with the re-
proachful phrase, until it has become proverbial. The same
reproach is directed against Cupar ; and it appears, from a
notice in the " Minstrelsy," that the same saying is applied
to a place called Lydford, in England. Some imagine, mis-
takenly, that the severity of George, the fourth Earl of Home,
the father of one of the abbots of Jedburgh, gave it birth,
and this view is adopted by Morton in his " Monastic Annals ;"
but it is evident that it was not from a rigorous enforcement
of the law, but the peculiar manner in which it was adminis-
tered in a class of cases. Such a form of trial took place in
330 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
A few hundred yards above Haughead, between
the steep red scaur banks of the Cayle, is the place
where the Covenanters met for preaching, and where
one of the two great conventicles was held. The
locality was well suited for such meetings, being
lonely and retired, and in the neighbourhood of a
number of places of concealment in the banks of the
river and the mountain fastnesses. Here the zealous
Eichard Cameron was licensed, and sent first to
Annandale to preach the gospel.*
all cases of treason, where the party accused was slain or had
died. Without a trial, the goods and estate of the traitor
could not be forfeited. The Justice aires, for nearly sixty
miles of Border land, were held at Jedburgh, where many
members of rebellious clans were tried and condemned to
death, and where, also, the corpse of the rebel who had been
slain, or died previous to trial, was placed at the bar, and
sentence pronounced, forfeiting his goods and estate. The
first trial of this kind was that of Eobert Lesly, in 1540.
After the action with the Covenanters at Pentland Hills, in
November, 1666, the authorities in Scotland had recourse to
a new process : that of trying in absence parties accused of
being present in the action at Pentland ; and in August, 1667,
a number of landed men were tried in absence, convicted,
their lands declared forfeited, and adjudged to be executed
when taken. After this trial it was not deemed necessary to
produce the corpse or bones at the bar. On this change of
practice, Lord Hailes remarks, " The bones of a traitor can
neither plead defences, nor cross-question witnesses, and upon
this matter there is no difference whether the accused person
be absent in body or present in bones." No doubt, from
these trials arose the phrase which has passed into a proverb.
* On the appointment being intimated to Cameron by Mr.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 331
In the immediate neighbourhood of Haughead is
a place called Priest's Crown, a corruption of
Priest's crum, signifying the priest's meadow, and
thought to have derived its name from its being the
meadow of the vicar or priest. Originally both
Haughead and Priest's Crown were church lands,
and at the Eeformation belonged to the vicar. In
this locality small hills of sand abound, which many
persons imagine to be artificial, but they are not so.
Among these gravelly knolls there are many sand
cones, and where the ridge is highest, there are
Welsh, " he said, How can I go there ? I know what sort of
people they are. But Mr. Welsh said, 'Go your way,
Ritchie, and set the fire of hell to their tails ! ' He went,
and the first day he preached upon that text, ' How shall I
put thee among the children,' &c. In the application, he
said, Put you among the children ! the offspring of thieves
and robbers! We have all heard of Annandale thieves!
Some of them got a merciful cast that day, and told after-
wards, that it was the first field meeting they ever attended,
and that they went out of mere curiosity to see a minister
preach in a tent, and people sit on the ground." — Life of
Cameron. In a note to the "Border Minstrelsy," it is
stated that he was chaplain in the family of Sir Walter Scott
of Harden, who attended the meetings of the indulged Pres-
byterians ; but Cameron, considering this conduct as a com-
promise with the foul-fiend Episcopacy, was dismissed from
the family. — This good man was slain at Air's Moss, in the
parish of Auchinleck, in 1680, where he behaved with the
greatest bravery. He and Mr. Hackston commanded the
horse. It seems that his labours in the family of Sir Walter
Scott of Harden had borne fruit, for, in 1684, Sir Walter was
fined .£2944, 8s. 10&, and his son, ^£3500.
332 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
several of these little hills. One of these, situated in
a field to the east of the turnpike, existed till the
autumn of 1857, at the side of a meadow; and the
farmer of the land, desirous to fill up a morass at
the corner of the field, thought the best way to do
so was to cart the little law into it. To work the
labourers went, when they found the knoll to be
pure sand, and in the centre of it, a few feet from
the top, they came upon a stone kist, lying east and
west. It was formed of rough sandstone slabs, taken
from the banks of the Cayle — at least they are of the
same kind as the stones in the channel of the river,
and one or two of them, I observed, were water-
worn. The kist was about three feet ten inches in
length, and two feet four in breadth. Within it lay
the bones of one of the ancient people. The head
lay to the west, and it appeared to me that the body
had been doubled up and laid on its side, as was
usual in early times. Along with the bones were
found a few beads of shaly coal, and part of a fibula
of the same material. Nothing was found in the
grave to mark the period at which the interment
took place, or the sex. From the smallness of the
skull and other bones, and the absence of all weapons,
I am inclined to think that the inmate of the stone
coffin belonged to the female sex. The kist is now
protected by a wall, erected at the expense of the
Duke of Buccleuch, the owner of the lands.
From the apex of this knoll, a fair panorama is
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 333
presented to the vision. Bonnie Teviotdale lies on
the west, with the waters of Teviot sparkling as
they wind through the lovely vale, like an inland
lake ; on the east, the scene is fair of its kind, and
both united form such a picture as is rarely to be
met with in
" Lands that afar do he
'Neath a sunnier day and bluer sky."
Cessfokd barony lay to the south-east of Eckford
manor, and seems to have included all the lands
between it and Whitton. It was formerly written
Cessworth, Cessworthe, and Cessforth, &c. The origin
of the name may be sought for in its situation on
the lake, *. e., the town on the lake or moss. It is
thought that this lake was formed by the waters of
the Cayle, in the valley above Marlefield. About
the 15th century it came to be called Cessford, pro-
bably from a passage in the lake at this place. In
addition to a ford, there also seems to have been a
boat upon the lake. In 1684, James Muir, at Cess-
ford-boat, was, with John Kerr of Hownam, in-
dicted before the Justiciary at Edinburgh for trea-
son, for not owning the King's authority as then
established, nor Sharp's death, murder ; nor account
Bothwell, rebellion; and condemned to be hanged at
the Grassmarket. Roger de Mowbray appears to
have been one of the earliest proprietors of the
manor. On his forfeiture, King Robert I, in 1316,
334 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
gave to Edmund Marshall the whole demesne lands
of Cessworth, and William St. Clair of Hirdmenston
got all the other lands and miln. About this time
the Douglas was over-lord of all Teviotdale, which
he had won by his gallantry. According to the
author of the "Memorie of the Somervills/' a family
of Oliphant possessed the barony during the begin-
ning of the 13th century, and to Lady Elizabeth
Oliphant Sir John Somerville was married.* The
same author states that one of the barons of Linton
was served heir to his father in the barony of Linton
in April, 1381, before Sir Eobert Kerr of Cessford,
in the town of Jedburgh.-)- Although this author
may not be correct as to the dates, it is probable
that the Kers were in possession of this barony at a
much earlier period than is generally supposed. It
is not clear, however, to whom the Kers succeeded.
It is said that in 1446 the Earl of Douglas confirmed
a charter to Andrew Ker of the barony of Cessford.
In 1474, James, Lord Hamilton, granted a charter
of the lands of Cessford to the same Andrew Ker.
James IV. gave to Walter Ker, in 1494, the barony
of Cessford, which belonged to William Cockburn
of Skraling. The barony is still possessed by his
descendant, the Duke of Roxburghe.
The Castle of Cessford stands upon a ridge in-
* Memorie of the Somervilles, vol. i. p. 50. t lb. p. 136.
ROXBUKGHSHIRE, ETC. 335
clining towards Cayle valley, having the deep glen
through which Cessford burn flows on the west, and
on the south-east the ground slopes to a rivulet
which joins the burn a little to the north of the
castle. The castle is now a ruin, but enough of it
remains to shew that it must have been, when
entire, of great strength. The principal building is
67 feet long, 60 feet broad, and 65 feet high. The
walls are of an average thickness of 12 feet. The
castle has been surrounded by an inner and outer
wall ; no part of the former is to be seen, but por-
tions of the latter, especially on the north-east, as
well as a part of the offices, still remain. The whole
course of the outer wall, which is about 300 yards,
may be traced by its foundations, which are per-
fectly distinct. It was surrounded by a moat, fur-
nished with water, it is said, from a spring above
the farm-house. At the end of last century the
remains of the moat were to be seen, but the plough
has now destroyed every vestige of it. In the
month of May, 1523, the castle was besieged by
Surrey, in the absence of its owner, with a nume-
rous army, well provided with powerful ordnance,
with which he battered the donjon with little
effect. While the guns were playing against the
castle, the Lord Leonard, Sir Arthur Darcy, Sir Wil-
liam Parr, and others, by means of scaling ladders,
entered the barnkin, where they suffered severely
from the iron guns of the castle and stones cast
836 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
down upon them. They then attempted to scale
the donjon, while the archers and ordnance kept the
besieged engaged, but notwithstanding all the efforts
of the besiegers, they could not prevail against the
castle, which was gallantly defended. At last, when
Surrey was despairing of success, the warden came
within a mile of the castle, and not knowing how
matters stood within the castle, but fearing the
worst, offered to give up the place on his men being
allowed to leave with their bag and baggage, to which
Surrey was but too glad to accede, as he could not
have taken the castle by force of arms. In a letter
to Henry VIII., written by Surrey after returning to
Alnwick, he says, " I was very glad of the said ap-
pointment (capitulation), for in maner I sawe not
howe it wolde have been won if they within wold
have contynued their deffending."* On the castle
being delivered up, it was thrown down by the
ordnance, and, while the destruction of its walls
was going on, another party went to Whitton fort
and cast it down. In 1545, Cessforthe, Cessforthe
burn, and Cessfort maynes, are in the list of places
destroyed by the army of the Earl of Hertford. In
1666, Henry Hall of Haughead and a number of
Covenanters were imprisoned in the castle. -f" It is
said that the castle ceased to be the dwelling-place
of the Kers after 1650.
* Cotton MS. t Wodrow, vol. ii. p. 134.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 337
A number of ash-trees of considerable size, some
measuring eight feet in circumference, are at present
growing in the courts of the castle, and within the
ruined walls of the office-houses. About fifty yards
west from the castle stands a solitary ash- tree, and a
place on the south where a number of trees grow is
pointed out as the site of the ancient gardens.*
Marlefield lies between the modern baronies
of Eckford and Cessford. It anciently formed
a part of the territory of Eckford. About the
beginning of the 17th century, it was called Mow-
maynis, and the property of Mr. William Bennett,
rector of Ancrum. In 1677, William Bennet was
served heir to his father in the lands and barony of
Grubet, comprehending among others the lands of
Mowmaynis.-f- He was succeeded by his son, Sir Wil-
liam Bennet, who suffered many hardships for con-
science sake. In 1677, he was fined 400 merks for
* In the Old Statistical Account, the minister of Eckford
parish gives an account of a remarkable ash that stood at the
castle. It was called the Crow-tree, and measured at the base
27 feet 8 inches in girth ; at six feet from the ground, 15 feet ;
and at the cleft where the branches diverged and spread, 14
feet 6 inches. The tree expanded its branches on every side.
It was computed to contain 300 feet of wood. Although
very old, it was in a healthy state in 1793, and was much
admired. It does not now exist.
t Ketours, No. 195.
VOL. III. Z
338 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
attending conventicles, and for hearing and convers-
ing with Mr. Welsh, and ordered to remain in the Bass
till the fine was paid. His son, Sif William, was
born at Marlefield, where he lived during the greater
part of his life. He took an active hand in raising
the county of Roxburgh against the rebel forces in
1715. He was the intimate friend of Ramsay and
Thomson, who often visited at Marlefield House. In
1721, Ramsay is said to have written a poetical
address to Eolus, on the night of a high wind, at
the house of his patron. There are good grounds
for believing that this Sir William is the Patie of the
" Gentle Shepherd," and that the scene of that beau-
tiful pastoral is laid on the banks of the Cayle, in
the immediate neighbourhood of Marlefield House.
The description in the poem answers exactly to the
scenery in this locality. The rocky, caverned banks
of the Cayle correspond with the opening scene,
where Patie and Roger are introduced —
" Beneath the south side of a craggy bield,
Where crystal springs their halesome waters yield,
Twa youthfu' shepherds in the gowans lay,
Tenting their flocks ae bonny morn of May ; —
Poor Koger granes till hollow echoes ring,
But blyther Patie likes to laugh and sing."
Habbie's Howe is also to be found within a short
distance of the mansion, through which a burn
wimples between two verdant banks to the Cayle.
Tt is of consequence to notice that a remarkable per-
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 339
sonage lived in the immediate neighbourhood, of the
name of Habbie or Hobbie Hall, a friend and fellow-
sufferer with Sir William in the cause of religious
liberty. Their estates lay together, and were
bounded by the burn, which
" Kisses wi' easy whirls the bord'ring grass."
There existed also a cottage on the estate, called
Symon's House, and a field adjoining known as
Symon's Field. Mowses Burn and Mowses Knowe
are also on the estate. In every respect, the scenery
at this place corresponds with the scenes of the
drama. And further, the poem is an historical
description of Sir William Bennet and his son. Sir
William was imprisoned, and afterwards forced to
leave his native land, leaving his son behind him
under charge of a faithful tenant, to be brought up
as his own. When a better sun shone on Scotia's hills
and dales, the exile returned to his native vale, and
found his son as described by his guardian. Paties
love of learning, as described by Symon, is a true
representation of the character of Sir William
Bennet, who was a man of taste and great literary
attainments. Other localities may point to scenes
answering the description of the poet ; but here are
to be found, not only scenery exactly fitting the
drama, but a pictorial representation of the owner of
the lands and his son. Everything considered, I
cannot entertain a doubt that the scene of the
340 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
" Gentle Shepherd " is laid on the margins of the
Cayle. Sir William Bennet died in 1724, and was
interred in the family aisle adjoining the church
of Eckford. Over the entrance to the aisle is the
following inscription : — " Hoc monumentum sibi et
suis bene merentibas, ponendam curavit Dominus
Gulielmus Bennet eques auratus anno salutis,
J 724."
The mansion of Marlefield stands at the west end
of the Cayle valley, commanding a fine view of the
vale and the distant Cheviots. In the grounds are
a number of magnificent lime-trees, and on the
banks of the river, near to the cottages, are a few
fine oaks and beeches. The estate now belongs to
the Marquis of Tweeddale.
Caveeton. — The name of this ancient territory
is derived from the Cambro-British cae ver, signi-
fying little fields or enclosures, and the Saxon ton
added describes the town at the fields or enclosures.
This place is thought to be the Keveronum of the
Inquisitio of Earl David in 1116, and belonging at
that early period to the church of Glasgow. The
name of this place is a proof that farms existed dur-
ing the British period. The territory is situated on
the right bank of the Cayle, opposite to Cessford and
Marlefield, lying between the river and the baronies
of Linton, Lempitlaw, Sprouston, Heaton, and Eck-
ford. It belonged to the family of Suit, and who
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 341
obtained the name of Sules from two bailiewicks of
that name in Northamptonshire. Ranulph de Sules
followed David I. to Scotland, and got from him
Liddisdale, Nisbet, and Caverton, in Teviotdale. He
w^as butler to William the Lion. At his death, in
1170, he was succeeded by his nephew Ranulph, the
son of his brother William. Ranulph was assas-
sinated at Castleton in 1207.* Nicholas, the son
of Fulco, succeeded, and was a man remarkable for
his gieat wisdom and eloquence. He married a
daughter of the Earl of Buchan, by whom he had
two sons, William and John. He died at Rouen,
in Normandy, in 1264. William became justiciary
of Lothian under Alexander III, and he was one of
the Magnates Scotce who pledged themselves to
support the succession of Margaret to her father,
Alexander III. He was present at the Parliament
at Brigham in 1290. Nicholas de Soulis claimed
the crown of Scotland, in right of his grandmother
Margery, who was a daughter of Alexander II., but
withdrew his pretensions, as her legitimacy could not
be established. The barony of Caverton was for-
feited while in possession of William de Soulis,")- in
* Chron. Mailros, p. 106 : " Ranulfus de Sules occisus est
in domo a domesticis suas."
t This is the person whom tradition says was rolled up in
a sheet of lead for a funeral pall, and melted in a cauldron on
the Ninestane Rig. But unfortunately for the tradition, and
the minstrel who sung of the event, Sulis was seized at
Berwick, confessed his guilt before Parliament, and his life
342 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
consequence of his having entered into a conspiracy
against Kobert L, with the view of elevating himself
to the throne. The plot was discovered by the
Countess of Strathern. In 1216, it was granted by
Robert I. to Robert Stewart, the son of Walter
Stewart.* It was out of the forfeited lands in
Teviotdale belonging to Soulis and Moubray that
the i?2000 granted by Robert I. to the monks
of Melrose, to enable them to restore their house,
which had been destroyed during the war of Inde-
pendence, was raised. On Edward, the English king,
obtaining possession of Teviotdale, the barony of
Cavertoun was conferred on the family of De Coucy.
In 1335, Edward III. granted a charter of confirma-
tion of the barony of Cavertoun.-f- Three years
after, the barony was given by the same king to
James de Loyrens ; but as it was so destroyed by the
war, he added an annual pension of twenty pounds
sterling.^ The barony was valued during peace at
^58 yearly, but, owing to the war, did not yield £8
sterling. About the middle of the 15th century,
Walter Ker, designed as of Caverton, but probably
of Cessford, was in possession of lands in Caverton.
was spared by the king, but his estates forfeited, and himself
confined in Dumbarton Castle, where he died. Chalmers
says there never was a Lord Sulis, whatever the minstrel may
sing.
* Robertson's Index, p. 10, No. 13.
t Rotuli Scotiaa, vol. i. p. 352 J lb., p. 825.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 343
In 1478, lie was summoned before the Lords Audi-
tors, at the instance of Dougal M'Dougall of Maker-
stoune* About the same time, Rutherfurd of
Hundole had a third part of the lands of Caverton. -|-
In the beginning of the 17th century, families of the
names of Pott and Pringle appear to have been in
possession of lands in Caverton. In 1623, William
Pott was served heir to his father, John, called Laird
Potty in three-pound lands called Langislands, in the
territory of Caverton.j In the same year, George
Pringill, in Schairpitlaw, was served heir to his
father in two husbandlands in the barony of
Hounam.§ In 1628, John Pott was retoured heir
to his father, William Pott, of the lands commonly
called Langislandis, in the barony of Caverton. ||
In 1 675, Robert, Earl of Roxburghe, was served heir
to his father, William, Earl of Roxburghe, Lord Ker
of Cessford and Caverton, amongst others in a hus-
bandland in Caverton, called Huntlilands.^[ The
territory of Caverton, with the exception of the
lands of Mainhouse, belong to the dukedom of Rox-
burghe. The town of Caverton was of importance
in early times, but now consists of only a few farm
cottages. On the east side of the town stood a little
chapel, which served the inhabitants of that terri-
* Act Dool And., p. 69. t Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. xii. No. 320.
X Retours, No. 120. § lb., No. 117.
|| lb., No. 168. IT lb. No. 267.
844 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
tory, but every vestige of it had disappeared before
the end of last century. As said before, this chapel
is believed to have existed at a very early period,
and to be the Keveronum in the inquisition made
by Earl David in 1116, as to the property of the
church of Glasgow in Teviotdale.* Very few notices
are to be met with of this chapel. In the end of
the 15th century, Walter Ker of Cessford burdened
the lands of Caverton with a yearly payment of
ten pounds to the officiating chaplain. He also
granted to the chapel two cottages which lay near
to the orchard, two acres of land with crwns,
meadow, and four soums in Caverton, with a manse
and yard. In 1500, James IV. confirmed this grant.
The small graveyard of the chapel was used by
several families of the parish, and by others, because
their forefathers were interred there up to 1793.
Since that time, it has scarcely been used for burial.
In a field north of the churchyard, a fountain was
called the Holy Well, and occasionally the Priest's
Well, from its connection with the chapel, but the
name is beginning to be lost among the now ever-
changing inhabitants of the country hamlets.
To the west of Caverton hill-head cottages are the
scarcely perceptible remains of a tumulus which was
of considerable extent, and called the Black Dyke.
When examined by Mr. Paton, the minister of the
* Reg. Glas., pp. 5, 7.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 345
parish, in 1793, it measured 342 feet in length, over
27 feet at the east end ; it measured 42 feet at the
western extremity ; it was 33 feet from side to side.
It lay in a direct line east and west. It was com-
posed of fine loose mould, intermixed with large
stones covered over with heath. No human bones or
remains of any kind have been found in it. Tradi-
tion has it that the bodies of those dying of the
plague were buried here in 1349; but the shape of
the mound and the absence of remains seem to in-
dicate that the people who raised the dyke had a
very different object in view than burial.
Mainhouse, which was included in the territory
of Caverton, belonged to a family of Chatto, in the
end of the 1 6th century. Thomas Chatto was baillie
of Kelso in 1717. In 1817, the lands were acquired
by James Syme, a merchant in Glasgow. In 1847,
the estate was purchased by Thomas Nisbet, who
was, at his death, succeeded by his brother, Ralph
Compton Nisbet, with whom it now remains. Since
the estate came into the hands of Mr. Nisbet, it has
been greatly improved, and the lands are in a high
state of cultivation. The house occupies a fine
situation, overlooking the vale of Cayle, with the
Cheviot mountains in the distance. Mainhouse
was destroyed by Hertford in 1545.
The territory of Caverton suffered severely during
the wars between England and Scotland, owing to
346 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
its position between the Tweed and Cayle, the
ground over which the invading army chiefly passed.
The greater portion of the land must have been
a moor, especially on the east. Caverton Edge,
on which Kelso races were formerly run, is now
planted, and the remainder is let into farms capable
of producing crops of every kind, and is highly cul-
tivated.
Ormiston. — This ancient barony derives its name
from Orm, the son of Eilar, who settled on the
bend of the Teviot in the beginning of the 12th
century. The dwelling of Orm was at the place
now called Old Ormiston, and a lovelier situation is
rarely met with in the Border land. It commands
a fine view of the valley down which Cayle flows,
and the green mountains which form the boundary
line between the two kingdoms, appear in the dis-
tance. The river Teviot bends around the barony,
and hastens over its rocky bed to meet with the
Tweed. The scenery around Old Ormiston far ex-
cels that in the vicinity of the new mansion higher
up the river. Ormeston became, in the end of the
13th century, a surname of the family. John de
Ormeston swore fealty to Edward I. in 1296.*
After that time, a family of Dalmahoy appear to
have been in possession of part of the lands of
* Bagman's Bolls, p. 126.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 347
Ormeston. John Oopeland, Edward's sheriff of Eox-
burgh, occupied for a time the lands which belonged
to Dalmahoy, and on their being restored, he got
a pension of twenty pounds yearly, as compensation
for their loss.* In 1347, Andrew of Ormeston,
James de Sandilands, and Patrick le Clerk, got a
safe-conduct from Edward III. to visit William
Douglas, chevalier, a prisoner of war in England,
and convey to him certain things which he re-
quired.f In 1358, a safe-conduct was granted to
the same Andrew and four kinsmen to svisit Eng-
land. Andrew is styled "familiaris David de Bruys,
prisonerie."j: In 1476, Andrew Ormeston possessed
the lands.§ Ormeston seems to have been a fol-
lower of Scott of Branxholm, and at feud with the
Kers; for, in the contract between the Scotts and
Kers in 1564, the laird of Branxholm took burden
upon him for James Ormeston of that Ilk.|| The
same James Ormeston, and his uncle Hob Ormeston,
were concerned in the murder of Henry Darnley in
1566, and for which he was executed at Edinburgh
in ] 573. While lying in the castle of Edinburgh,
under sentence of death, he confessed to John Brand,
minister, his share in the murder, and that he was
urged to the deed by Bothwell ; but declared that
the Queen never spake to him on the subject.
* Eotuli Scotige, vol. i. p. 558. t lb., 706. % lb., 806.
§ Acta Dom. Aud., 56. || Pitcairn, vol. iii. p. 391.
348 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
Having made his confession as to the murder of
Darnley, he asked the minister to pray for him, for
he had been a great sinner otherwise : " for of all
men in all the earth, I have been ane of the proud-
est and heich-myndit, and maist filthie of my body,
abusing myself dyvers ways. Bot specially I have
shed innocent blood of ane Michael Hunter, with
my awin hands. Allace, therefore ! Because the said
Michael hevand me lying upon my back, haveing
ane fork in his hand, might have slain me gif he
pleasit, and did it not; quhilk of all things grieves
me maist in conscience : Alswa in a rage I hangit a
poor man for ane horse, with mony other wickit
deids ; for the quhilk I ask my God mercy : For it
is not mervel that I have been wickit, for the wickit
companie that ever I have been in, bot specialie
within thir seaven years byepast, quhilk I never
saw twa guid men, or ane guicl deid, bot all kind of
wickedness. And that my God wald not suffer me
to be lost, and hes drawn me from them as out of
hell, and has given me layer and space with guid
companie to repent; for the quhilk I thank him,
and is assurit that I am ane of his elect."* It is
said that he died, to the appearance of men, one of
the most penitent sinners, and a great example of
God's mercy. On the death of Ormeston, the barony
passed into the hands of Captain Eobert Anstruther,
* Pitcairn, vol. i. p. 513.
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 3-49
by whom they were afterwards resigned into the
hands of the king, who granted to William Ker of
Cessford, warden of the middle marches, the said
lands and barony, together with the tower, fortalice,
mills, and^ fishings, of the same, and also the twenty-
merk lands of Maxton, called Govanis lands. This
grant was ratified by Parliament in 1 581 .* In 1 585,
his Majesty and the Parliament held at Linlithgow
revoked and rescinded all deeds granted by the said
James Ormeston previous to his execution, in favour
of his children and friends; and in 1592, the Parlia-
ment of new ratified the grant in favour of William
Ker, of said lands and barony in liferent, and to
Mark Ker, his second son, and his heirs male, whom
failing, to return to the said William and his house
of Cessford.i" Under that grant, Mark Ker entered
into possession of the barony of Ormeston, and in
1606, Robert, Earl of Roxburghe, was served heir to
his brother, the said Mark, in the lands and barony,
with the twenty-merk lands of Maxton, called
Govanis lands.J In the end of last century it was
the property of William Elliot of Wells, from whom
it passed into the hands of William Mein, whose
ancestors seem to have been long connected with
the district, and to have intermarried with the Kers.
He greatly improved the lands, built a new mansion,
* Acta Pari., vol. iii. p. 269. t lb., p. 612.
X Ketours, No. 35.
350 THE HISTOEY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
and erected, at his own expense, for the accommo-
dation of the public, an elegant suspension bridge
for carriages over the Teviot at Cayle-mouth. Pre-
vious to that time there was not a bridge over the
river between Ancrum Bridge and Kelso.
In 1523, Ormiston was cast down by Lord Dacre.
The barnkyn of Ormeston was taken and burnt
by Lord Eurie in 1544. In 1545, the town of
Ormeston was burnt and the tower destroyed by
Hertford.
Heton, Hetaine, Hetoyun, Heitoune. — This
ancient manor derives its name from its position on
the summit of a ridge which slopes down to the
banks of the Teviot. From this place fine views
are obtained of Teviotdale and the Merse. The
first person who appears as owner of the manor is
Alan de Perci the younger, who followed Earl David
to Scotland, and fought by his side with all the
spirit of a Percy, at the battle of the Standard, in
1 138. After this battle, he obtained from David I.
the manors of Heton and Oxnam. Alan granted a
carrucate of land in Heton to the monks of Whitby
for the salvation of his own soul, for the salvation
of the souls of David the king, and of his son Earl
Henry, and for the souls of his father, Alan de Perci,
and of his mother. This grant was witnessed by
his four brothers, William, Walter, Geoffrey, Henry,
and it was confirmed by David the king, by Malcolm
ROXBURGHSHIRE, ETC. 351
IV., and by his two brothers, Geoffrey and Henry.
Alan, dying without issue, was succeeded by his
brother Geoffrey, who also died without issue. His
nephew Walter, the son of Henry, next possessed
the manor, and imitated his uncle in liberality to
the religious houses. To the house of Kelso he gave
a ploughgate, containing 104 acres, in Heton, next
to the land belonging to the hospital of Roxburghe.*
He also granted the monks of Dryburgh two ox-
gangs of land in Heton, with all the pasture and
easements of the same town belonging to so much
land, for the safety of his own soul, and the souls of
all his ancestors.f This grant was confirmed by
William the Lion, by Pope Lucius, by Philip Colville,
by Pope Gregory, and by Alexander II., before
1230.J The next owner of the manor was Philip
de Colville, an Anglo-Norman, who settled in Scot-
land during the reign of Malcolm IV. It was the
first possession the family acquired in North Britain.
He was succeeded by his son Thomas, who witnessed
many charters of William the Lion, between 1189
and 1199. In 1210, he was suspected of a con-
spiracy against the life of his king, and imprisoned
in Edinburgh Castle ; but having made his innocence
appear, he was liberated, after a confinement of six
* Lib. de Calchou.
t Eegist. de Dryburgh, p. 163.
X lb. pp. 180, 195, 163, 164, 181, 199.
352 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF
v months, and restored to favour* He is a witness
to several charters of Alexander II. He acquired
the lands of Whitsome in Berwickshire, and died in
1219.-f- William de Colville, his son, acquired the
manors of Kinaird in Stirlingshire, and of Ochiltree
in Ayrshire. The laird of Heton, like the other
lairds in the district, swore fealty to Edward I. in
12964. Kobert de Colville possessed Heton and
Oxnam during the reign of Robert I. About 1 330,
lie quit-claimed to Eoger of Auldton, "an annual
revenue of five shillings, in which he was bound to
him for two oxgangs of land which he held of him
in the town and territory of Heton, "§ and liberty
was granted to Roger to convert the said oxgangs
to pious uses or perpetual alms. Under that leave,
Roger granted the two oxgangs of land for the
maintenance of a chantry and officiating priest, in
the church of St. James, Roxburgh. The two ox-
gangs lay on the south side of the town of Heton,
between the land of Robert de Colville and the land
* Chron. Mail., p. 109: "Et Thomas de Couilla captus
est et apud Edenburc custodie mancipatur propter sedicionem
quam contra regem suum et domirmm Machinatns est, ut
infamia narrando clamat qui ad festum Sancti Martini si
redemit."
+ Chron. Mail., p. 135.
X Ragman's Rolls, p. 128.
§ These two oxgangs are thought to have amounted at
that period to 38 acres: not twopence per acre for land
which now lets at more than £2 per acre.
ROXBURGHSHIKE, ETC. 353
of Thomes, called Walker* on the west side.-f In
the Eegister of Glasgow, the name of Heton is mis-
takenly written Reton. In 1336, Edward III. ap-
pointed Alan of Heton warden of the town and ter-
ritory of Heton.| The barony of Heton was granted
by Eobert II. to Duncan Wallace, and his wife, Elenor
de Bruges, Countess of Carrick. In 1456, John
Heytone sat in the Parliament of Scotland as com-
missioner for the burgh of Haddington. In 1502,
Sir William Colville was in possession of the barony
of Heton. At the Jedworthe Justiciare, in November,
1502, Eobert and Henry Douglas were permitted
to compound for the theft of three oxen from Sir
William Colville of Synlaws.§ Sir William was
slain in the same year, leaving two daughters. In
* The origin of the name of Walker is said to have been
derived from Holla, a Danish chieftain, who was, from his
height and weight, unable to use a horse, and therefore
compelled to walk a-foot, and from whence he obtained the
sobriquet of the Ganger a- Walker. Giants must have lived
in those days if we are to believe the accounts of the Danish
period. — Beauties of England, vol. i. p. 215, 234, 265 ; View
of Derbyshire, vol. ii. p. 426; Glover's Derbyshire, vol. ii.
p. 457.
t Regist. Glasg., p. 244 : " Et duas bovatus terre in Villa
de Reton quarum toftum jacet in parte australi ejusdem
ville inter terram Roberti de Colville domini de Reton ex
parte orientali et terram Thome dicte Walker ex parte
occidentali."
% Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 903. § Pitcairn, vol. i. p. 33.
VOL. III. 2 A
354 THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES, ETC.
1510, at the Justiciare at Jedworthe, George Haly-
burton was accused of art and part of the murder
of Sir William Colville, and not appearing, Mark
Ker of Dolphinstone, his surety, was fined in 100
merks, the said George denounced, and his goods
escheated to the king. In 1509, half of the barony
belonged to Andrew Ker of Primsideloch, and the
other half to Ealph Ker of Ferniehirst. The lands
are now possessed by Sir George Douglas and William
Scott Ker of Chatto.
The town consists of a row of houses on each
side of the turnpike road leading from Berwick to
the western districts of the country. The houses
are generally of an inferior kind, but the proprietor,
Sir George Douglas, has begun the erection of very
elegant cottages at the east end of the town. Hey-
ton-on-the-Hill is in the list of places destroyed by
Earl Hertford in 1545.
Between 1190 and 1456, a number of persons
bore the surname of Heton.
APPENDIX,
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.
KELSO.
Page 41. — The following is a translation of the confirma-
tion charter of Malcolm IV., preserved in the archives of the
Duke of Roxburgh, a fac-simile of which is in volume i. of
the Lib. de Calchou : —
" Malcolm by the grace of God King of Scots to all his
friends French English and Scots and to all the sons of
God's holy church wisheth perpetual health. Know all
men now and hereafter that David King of Scots my grand-
father of pious memory whilst he was earl founded an
abbey at Seleschirche in honour of the holy Virgin
Mary mother of God and Saint John the evangelist ; for the
health of his own soul and the souls of his father and mother
his brothers and sisters and all his ancestors and successors.
But when by Divine mercy after the death of his brother
Alexander he succeeded him in the kingdom by the council
and advice of John of revered memory bishop of Glasgow
and his nobles menvwho feared God he removed the afore-
said abbey because the former place was not a convenient
situation for a monastery to Roxburg to the church of the
blessed Virgin Mary which is situated on the bank of the
river Tuede in the place which is called Kelcho. Which
church Robert bishop of St. Andrews in whose diocese it was
from love to God and of his own free will granted that it
should be free from all episcopal authority insomuch that the
abbot and monks might receive their consecrated ointment
356 APPENDIX.
and oil and the ordination of the abbot himself and the monks
from whatsoever bishop they pleased in Scotland or Cumbria.*
This privilege with the other privileges and possessions which
they enjoy through the liberality of my grandfather King
David my father Earl Henry or my own I concede to
them as far as my right extends for ever and by my
royal power confirm to them for perpetual alms : viz. the
town of Kelcho with its due bounds in land and water
discharged quit and free from every burden ; also the land
which Gerold gave me near the confines of the said town
which land comes down to the road that goes to Neith-
ANSTHYRN.t And when ever I hear the service of God
in that church on holidays or other days I confirm to the
same all my offerings and the offerings of all those who shall
be with me. Also from the milne of Edenham twelve
chalders of malt every year ; and liberty to dig peats in the
muir of Edenham from the ditch that comes down the other
muir crossing that muir in a straight direction to the three
large stones on the other side. Also forty shillings a year
from the revenue of the burgh of Eokesburgh and a toft
beside the church of St. James and another in the new town
and the land which was Walter Cementar's. Also in the
churches of the same burgh with their land as freely and
fully as ever Ascelline the archdeacon possessed them. Also
the half toft which was Acculf 's ; and twenty chalders half
meal half wheat at the milns ; and the seventh part of a
fishing. Also in Sproston a ploughgate of land and ten acres
with the buildings belonging to the ploughgate ; and three
acres of meadow ; and the church of the^ame village ; with
the land belonging to the church ; and two oxgangs of land
* The Cumbria of King David extended from the Solway, the
Esk, and the Kersope on the south, to the upper Forth and Loch-
lomond on the north, and from the Frith of Clyde and the Irish
Sea on the west. It extended eastward to the boundaries of the
Lothians and the Merse.
+ Nenthorn.
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. 357
beside Presterbridge which I gave them in exchange for
two oxgangs with which the monks accommodated me of
the land of the church of St. Laurence at Berewic. Also
the village of Kavendene* in land and water; and the
pastures of Sproston and the muirs for digging turfs common
as well to the inhabitants of Eavendene as to those of Spros-
ton. Also in Berewich a ploughgate of land and a dwelling
belonging to the same beside the church of St. Laurence ; and
another dwelling in the burgh and forty shillings out of the
revenue of the same burgh yearly and the half of a fishing
which is called Berewicstrem. Also the seventh part of the
milns and the land of Dodin in the same town and the land
of Waltheof the son of Ernobold. Also the village of Middle-
ham and BoTHELDENEt with their due bounds in lands and
waters in woods and cleared grounds. Also thirty acres of
land in the domains of LillescliveJ between the Alna and
the brook that divides the grounds of Middleham and
Lillesclive and the tithes of the miln of the same village viz.
Lillesclive. Also Whitelau and Whitemere with their due
bounds ; and the lands of Seleschirche with its due bounds
in lands and its waters in woods and cleared ground and my
waters about Seleschirche as free to them to fish in with their
fishermen as to me with mine and my pastures as free to
their people as to mine ; and my woods for building their
houses and for fuel as free to them as to me. Also the church
of the other Seleschirche with half a ploughgate of land ; and
the church and the land of Lesmahagu with its due bounds ;
and Traverlin§ with its due bounds as Vineth fully and
freely possessed and enjoyed it with all the easments of
* Bedden. + Bowden. J Lilliesleaf.
X Morton, in the Monastic Annals, page 116, mistakenly
states that this place is Crailing, on the Oxnam water ; but the
name of Crailing was in vise before Malcolm IV. wrote this
charter. Besides, Crailing was granted to the abbot of Jed-
burgh. It is clear that Traverlin and Crailing cannot be the
358 APPENDIX.
the adjoining strother which is called Cameri; and the crag
of the same village (as the Lord Alfwin abbot of Halyrude
and Ernald abbot of Kelso came to a mutual agreement con-
cerning a dispute which was between them about that same
crag — before these witnesses Ralph abbot of Newbottle ;
William abbot of Strevelin; Osbert prior of Jeddeword;
Richard the clerk ; Machbet.) For my grandfather gave this
Traverlin to the foresaid church of Kelcho in exchange for
the ten-pound lands which they had in Hardiggasthorn near
Northamtun. Also in Rinfriv a toft and one net exempted
quit and free from all customs ; and in Edinburg a toft ; and
in Peebles a toft ; and in Lannarch a toft ; and the church
of Keth ; and half of the fat of the craspies* that shall have
been stranded in the Forth. Also the tenth of the beasts
and swine and kain cheese of that part of Galwey which my
grandfather had during the lifetime of King Alexander ; and
the tenth of the cheeses of Tuedale in like manner annually ;
and the half of the hides of all the beasts slaughtered for my
kitchen so that whenever I or any of my successors have one
hide the monks may have another. And they shall have a
like share of the suet and tallow of the hides ; and all the
skins of the rams and lambs ; and the tenth of the skins
of the deer taken by my huntsmen. These products of my
kitchen and of my slain beasts the monks shall have over all
that territory only which my grandfather possessed when
king Alexander was alive. Also a salt work in Karsach.
Likewise as far as it depends upon me I grant and confirm
to the said church by the gift of Earl Gospatrick the church
of Hom with two ploughgates of land and a meadow in the
precincts of the same village ; also the church of Fogho
with a ploughgate of land ; the church of MACCHUSWELf by
the gift of Herbert de Macchuswell ; the church of Simprig
by the gift of Hye and his son Peter ; the church of St.
Laurence of Berewic by the gift of Robert the son of
William the church of MalcarvastonJ with a ploughgate of
* Whales. f Maxwell. £ Makerston.
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. 359
land by the gift of Walter Corbeth the church of Molla* with
the adjacent land by the gift of Uctred of Molla ; the church
of Withas-town by the gift of Witha ; the church of Cam-
busneithan by the gift of William Finemund; and the
church of LiNTONRUTHERCt by the gift of Richard Cumin.
All the above named lands and possessions therefore I grant
to the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Kelcho ; and to
the monks serving God there ; to be freely and peaceably
enjoyed by perpetual right ; and by this my charter I con-
firm the same to them as perpetual alms ; so that none of
my successors shall presume to demand anything of the
foresaid church or any of its possessions but only prayers for
the good of their souls. And this charter is confirmed in the
year one thousand one hundred and fifty-nine after the incar-
nation of the Lord ; the following persons being witnesses :
Herbert bishop of Glasgow ; William bishop of Moray ;
Gregory bishop of Dunkcld; William and David my
brothers and Ada my mother; Gaufrid abbot of Dum-
fermline ; Osbert abbot of Jeddeword ; Amfred abbot of
Newbottle; Alured abbot of Strevelin; Walter the chan-
cellor; Robert prior of St. Andrews; Matthew archdeacon
of St. Andrews ; Tor archdeacon of Lothian ; Herbert the
chamberlain; Nicholas the clerk; Richard the chaplain;
Master Andrew ; Master Arthur ; Walter clerk to the
chancellor ; John the nephew of bishop Robert ; Serle the
clerk; Solomon chaplain to Bishop Herbert; and Helias
clerk to the same bishop ; Godfrey king of the isles ; Earl
Gospatric; EarlFerteth; Gilliebride earl of Anagus ; Uctred
the son of Fergus ; Gillebert de Umframvill ; William de
Summervill ; Richard de Morvill ; Ranulph de Sulas ; David
Olifard ; Richard Cumin ; Robert Avenil ; William de Mor-
vill; William Finnemond; Walter Corbet; Asketer de
Ridale ; Henry de Percy ; Liulph the son of Maccus ; Orm
the son of Hailaph, and many other clerks and laymen.
At Rokesburg."
* Mow. t Linton in Peebleshire, see page 206.
360 APPENDIX.
SMALHAM.
P. 135. — In 1451, the barony of Smalham was given in
free regality to William, Earl of Douglas *
MAKERSTON.
P. 144. — The first Macdoual who appears in connection
with lands in Roxburghshire, is Fergus Macdoual, the son of
Duncan Macdoual of Galloway and Margaret Fraser his wife.
Margaret Fraser inherited in her own right the baronies of
Mackerston, Yetholm, and Clifton. In 1374, she resigned
these baronies into the king's hands in favour of her son Fer-
gus, and on the third day of May of that year, Robert II.
granted him charters of said baronies. t The Macdouals were
one of the most powerful families of the British race in
Wigtonshire, and are thought to be descended from Roland
Macdoual, Lord of Galloway. Fergus Macdoual and Dougal
Macdoual of Wigtonshire took the oath of allegiance to Ed-
ward I. at Berwick, in 1296.$ During the Succession War,
Dougal Macdoual took part against Bruce, and for which
their lands were forfeited. In 1306, he defeated Thomas and
Alexander Bruce and Sir Reginald Crawford, took all the
three prisoners, and carried them to Carlisle Castle, and were
immediately ordered for execution by Edward I. Next year,
Robert Bruce marched into Galloway to revenge the death
of his brothers, and carried fire and sword through the terri-
tories of his enemies. Macdoual raised the men of Galloway,
and Edward II. ordered a large force to oppose Bruce, which
caused him to retire into the northern fastnesses. In 1308, the
gallant Edward Bruce invaded Galloway, defeated Macdoual
and the other chiefs who had joined him, and took Dougal
Macdoual prisoner. His son, Duncan M'Dougal succeeded,
and, like his father, adhered to the English king.
Reg. Mag. Sig., lib. iv., No. 148. t lb., Rot. ii. 32, 33.
£ Prynne, iii., p. 654-663.
ADDITIONS AND COREECTIONS. 361
On Galloway being subdued, Robert I. conferred on his
brother Edward the lordship, and all the estates in that terri-
tory, forfeited by the heirs of the lords of Galloway. The
grant was made in 1308. When Edward III., in 1332, set up
Edward Baliol to claim the crown of Scotland, during the
minority of David II., every part of Galloway became in-
volved in the miseries of civil war. Those proprietors who
had been settled on the forfeited lands by Robert I. shed
their blood for his son ; but many of the old owners of the
land, who had been allowed, by the leniency of the king, to
possess their estates, went over to the English king. During the
first seven years of the war, Duncan Macdoual, who was the
chief of the Clan Macdoual, remained true to the young king,
but in August, 1339, when the star of Edward III. was in
the ascendant, he took the oath of fealty to that king, and
was pardoned for his past offences.* At the death of the Re-
gent Randolph, David II. granted in 1341 the whole of Wig-
tonshire in free earldom to his faithful follower Sir Malcolm
Fleming. On obtaining this grant, Sir Malcolm resolved
upon punishing Duncan Macdoual for his revolt in 1339, and
notwithstanding all the aid of the English king, he was sub-
dued and forced to submit to the king of Scotland. Duncan
Macdoual, and his son Duncan, fought with David II. at the
battle of Durham in 1347, and were taken by the English
army, and imprisoned in the castle of Rochester, from whence
they were removed to York. Duncan, the father, was libe-
rated, on promising to act against the Scots. His wife,
brother, and two of his sons were hostages for him. In 1353,
Duncan Macdoual renounced the authority of Edward III.,
and swore fealty to David II. in the church of Cumnock, and
ever afterwards remained faithful to his sovereign.t On this
fact becoming known to Edward, he ordered John de Boul-
ton, his chancellor of Berwick, to seize all the lands, goods,
and chattels of Duncan Macdoual, and the lands of his wife,
* Rotuli Scotiae, vol. i. p. 571. t Fordun, 1. xiv., c. 15.
362 APPENDIX.
their family and adherents.* The like command was issued
to John Coupland, Edward's sheriff of Roxburghshire.
Margaret Fraser was the wife of Duncan, and the mother
of the said Fergus Macdoual, who was the first of the name
that inherited the lands of Mackerston, &c, in the south of
Scotland. Chalmers supposes that she was the second wife
of Duncan Macdoual, as Fergus only inherited his mother's
estates in Koxburghshire, and not those of his father in Gal-
loway, t The principal seat of the Galloway family, from
whom Fergus Macdoual sprung, was Garthland. The old
Tower of Garthland was forty-five feet high, with the date
of 1274 on its battlements.^ Macdougal was the original
name of which Macdoual is an abbreviation.
STOCKSTROTHER,
P. 170. — In noticing Ringley Hall, and the tumulus in
front of Mackerston House, I omitted to call attention to
Stockstrother, which is situated a little to the south of Ring-
ley Hall. Its name has been imposed by the Anglo-Saxon
dwellers on the Tweed, stock in that language signifying a
place or mansion; and str other, meadow, or marsh, i. e.,
Stockstrother, the place at the meadow. It is possible, how-
ever, that the name may have been conferred upon the place
from its being the residence of one of Edward's sheriffs of the
county of Roxburgh, of the name of Strothers : Stockstrothers,
the place of Strother. It must have been a place of importance
in early times, and strongly fortified. Part of the old building
is still to be seen in the walls of several of the cottages at the
onstead. The walls are of great thickness, and the stones
with which they have been built, of immense size, many of
* Rotuli Scotise, vol. i. p. 761. The order is dated from
Woodstock, August 18, 1353.
t Caledonia, vol. iii. p. 378.
J Old Statistical Account of Stoney Kirk Parish, vol. ii. p. 56.
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. 363
them measuring about five feet in length, and of proportion-
ate deepness. Stockstrother had its full share of visits from
the armies of England.
LINTON.
P. 217, Foot Note.— In May, 1729, an ox, six feet four
inches high, was sold in the Canongate market, Edinburgh.*
YETHAM.
P. 229. — I have mistakenly included Zedon as one of the
names of this place in 1388. It is so given in Froissart's
Chronicles, vol. iv. p. 3, and by other writers, but they have
mistaken Yetham for Suden or Southdean, as explained in
p. 264
Pp. 235, 236. — In 1669, an addition was built at the west
end of the church. It is probable that the old part to
which the addition was made, was the original church of
Yetham. It was covered with reeds.
* Courant, No. 644. Caledonia, vol. ii. p. 734.
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